Fate Denied: A Star Wars SI
by Saphrith
Summary: Dropped into a Galaxy Far Far Away, in the waning era of the Old Republic. Viera Sarat decides that she really doesn't want to die and that she equally doesn't want the Republic to fall to Palpatine's chaos. What's the worst that could happen?
1. Prologue

This idea was inspired by GSpectre's Officer of the Republic SI thread and shout out to him for helping me with not only the idea but proofreading this prologue.

This is something of a writing exercise for me but I feel that its been evolving in my head as I've given the idea more thought. This is Legends canon because I know it better and honestly like it more but I will include some canon elements here and there. I've got some extensive knowledge of the setting and hope to create some interesting divergences.

So by all means as this is a writing exercise for me. I encourage and accept feedback and criticism as well as discussion over the concepts.

45BBY Jedi Temple Coruscant

The lightsaber is heavy in my hands, lungs laboring as my opponent circles me, she was not nearly as tired as me. The training room is empty save for myself and Ilena with the assembled Knights and Masters in the viewing balcony above alongside my fellow apprentices.

The Force is with me though and through the colorless 'vision' it gives me I can see her smile; she's confident as ever and with good reason, I'm no slouch but she's better than me.

"Good fight Viera but this is it." And then she's on me lightsaber flashing.

I raise my saber to block and the sizzling as the two connect fills my ears before we begin the dance again; lightsabers flashing as I try to block, and maybe come up with a plan, calling to the Force I allow it to lift me into a forward leap, lightsaber flashing towards her head as I descend.

She's already blocked my strike and I get a glimpse of her lightsaber flashing towards me before I can think about it my blade is moving to intercept without any conscious input from me, our blades lock together, crackling and sparking I try to push her back or at least disengage but she is immovable and before I can try anything tricky her knee slams into my gut, knocking the wind from me. A follow up push knocks me to the ground and I don't get up, I can't beat her.

"I submit Ilena, you win." I briefly contemplate grabbing her training saber and surprising her but Ilena Xan is a friend and I don't really want to do that to her.

Her smile is warm, her aura in the Force brightening at her victory. I really hate being a Miraluka sometimes, it's done wonders for getting me used to the Force as a concept but I miss seeing color and form.

Master Bondara calls the match and the Apprentice tournament in Ilena's favor, The Rutian Twi'lek Battle master is honestly a lot of fun and I know full well I'll miss him when Maul kills him, I've considered saving him but I don't know how besides doing my damndest to hang around Coruscant in 32BBY in hopes I'm there when Maul arrives and can help him win or at least survive.

How long am I going to live? Assuming I don't get killed at Geonosis, during the Clone Wars, or during the purge? Food for thought, later that is.

He reaches down and effortlessly lifts me to my feet, giving me a reassuring pat on the back, a nice gesture but I'm not really broken up over the loss Ilena has always been better at me at lightsaber combat; not surprising considering I know she's destined to be a combat instructor herself later in life. I'm content with second place.

I have just enough time to steady myself as our other friends rush out to congratulate us; people I've come to know beyond their characterization in books: Arligan Zey, Politrix, Jai Maruk, Maks Leem, and Jang Li-Li.

"That was a great fight, you're guaranteed to get chosen by a master." Jang as perky as normal, strong in the Force and filled with potential but dead before her time at Ventress's hand.

"Thank you, Jang, it was an exhilarating fight, Ilena fights dirty though." I can feel her retort before I hear it.

"That was a legitimate move, stop being so petty." I shrug good-naturedly and tone out her lecture on the importance of close-combat skill, I can see where she'll get the nickname 'Iron Hands' from.

From behind her Zey frowns, and kicks at the ground in frustration. I resist calling him adorably grumpy.

"I'm just happy that Ilena avenged me." Oh Zey, you're just as grumpy as a child as you will be during the Clone Wars. I'm not sure what to do about that really and unsure of how much his attitude was stress, his actual personality or Traviss letting her bias show in her writing.

"You think too much Zey. If you didn't hesitate you'd have done much better." I'm not proud of head-butting him, in a moment of surprise, but it did work. He sighs and waves it off, not at all concerned.

"We all did well and there are plenty of potential Knights and Masters to take us as padawans. There's no need to let anxiety and worry get to us." Maks smiles at all of us, her friendly nature a calming reassurance, for them not for me. I know all of them become full-fledged Jedi in canon but I'm not so sure about my own future. Still I offer the Gran woman a smile if only to reassure her, she's too sweet to leave upset.

Master Bondara ushers us out of the training room and tells us to get some rest; we'll be informed in the morning whether we've been chosen or not. Twenty initiates filter out of the room and into the main hall, conversation filling my ears as everyone talks between themselves.

"Winning the tourney doesn't necessarily mean a Master will choose you, what matters is that you show the potential to be a Jedi, we all did that I think." Politrix hangs at the edge of the group, Jang's friend more than anyone else. I know of her death but little else. Another person to save, how I don't know but I will.

Jai already has a crush on her, it'll pass, unless I do something to push it forward.

I sighed, relaxing my tired muscles, "I'm going to hit the library and relax a bit. I'll see you in the morning." With a short bow, I excused myself, nodding at their farewells and going my own way.

It is haunting to walk down a translucent corridor, where if I focus, I can see through walls and doors with little difficulty. The Jedi around me existing as auras in the Force, colorless and with features I have to focus on to comprehend beyond basic shape. I hate it so much; I'd have been content as a Rodian if only to have normal sight back.

No use in complaining though, not like I can change it. Cope, I have to cope.

The Temple library is perhaps the most calming place for me and the only consolation for my forsaken existence. In another time, without the existential threat of Palpatine's purge, I would have been content to become a Jedi Librarian and spend my life here reading and learning the histories of thousands upon thousands of worlds. With the threat looming it serves as a place to relax and attempt to plan.

The Matukai and Luka Sene exist thankfully, so that's one part of my grand plan still in play, likewise there are short mentions of the Zeison Sha and Witches of Dathomir. I see no mention of the Fallanassi but Lucazec and Ialtra exist so when I get the chance I have to see if they're there and teaching their abilities. If not, then the Disciples of Twilight on Dyspeth are my best bet.

Learning the skills those orders teach would be invaluable to keeping myself alive and strengthening the Order through people I teach it to, assuming I teach anyone, but it does little to solve the big problems.

Palpatine and Hego Damask's efforts in building their power base and destabilizing the Republic are already underway. I've no way of stopping it now being all of 12 years old and when I'm finally free to act against them, reversing it will be impossible.

As such I've decided that outside a few certain events I'm not going to bother trying to run around behind them in an attempt to undo their plans. Instead I need to have plans to lessen the impact of theirs. If I can't prevent it, I need to counter it, and I have a rough plan to do that.

The first and most important part is that an army of clone troopers with ingrained loyalty to a Sith Lord who will turn on and kill you at a single command is a horrible idea. Three years is not enough time to train an army of non-clones to counter-balance them. However, ten to fifteen years is hopefully long enough. I need to find a way to support the Militarist faction in the Senate gain enough power to overturn that aspect of the Ruusan Reformations. Aks Moe is my best bet there, a militarist but ambitious and scheming enough to know how to maneuver and bribe, perfect for opposing the red tape Sidious will throw at him. I just need an inroad to meet him. Candadine Bru and Ambassador Golfhan are likewise going to be necessary partners in that area.

I bow slightly in greeting to Master Nu who returns the greeting but otherwise leaves me to my own devices. I've been here enough for her to grow accustomed to my presence. I go to my usual secluded terminal and begin bringing up the galactic map that I've been referencing. Millions of worlds and sectors pop up on the data terminals before me, I narrow the focus to the Mid Rim, still countless planets and sectors but I can comprehend the scale easier and I have an idea of what I need to find.

Thank you, extensive knowledge, of Legends canon and Jedi memory techniques. My target is simple, somewhere in the southwestern portion of the Mid Rim is the supposed destination of the Katana Fleet. Granted the Katana Fleet won't disappear for another year but hopefully it'll still disappear to the same place. Not good to place faith in random chance but with the Force involved who knows.

Though on the chance that it doesn't go there I need to do something else to offer aid to the Militarists. A Jedi's support for the faction could afford it a lot of weight but I don't know if it'll be enough. Even more I'm an apprentice right now, little more than an initiate. There's no way I have enough clout to give them some support, I need someone else to speak out in their favor on my behalf, someone known and respected.

And I have some ideas on who.


	2. Book one: Part one

The next morning our entire clan is lined up in a large room reminiscent of an Amphitheatre, Master Bondara is there as well as several older Jedi in the seats, we're all on a stage of some sort and it's hard not to feel like an item on display. Despite my best attempt, I can't help the anxiety I feel, if no one chooses me then this is all for naught, I'll be sent to the agricorps until the purge.

Master Bondara is a font of serenity, like this is all a normal occurrence for him and perhaps it is, he's probably used to standing in front of a group of younglings ready to decide their fate like it's no big deal. I feel angry and it takes will to suppress that feeling, this isn't the time to get angry and that only leads to trouble anyways. I need to appear calm and steady for whoever has chosen me, if anyone.

Names are called, Ilena and Jang are among the first, two human Jedi standing to meet them. As the newly paired Masters and padawans meet they quickly file out of the room, likely not wanting their young charges to see any of their friends not be chosen. For a moment, I'm scared I won't be chosen, that I'll be assigned to one of the service corps.

"Viera Sarat" I release a breath I didn't realize I had been holding, for a moment I wasn't sure if I'd be chosen. The Jedi who stands to meet me is another Miraluka, a tall lithe man with short brown hair and a blindfold over his vestigial eye sockets.

I walk quickly to meet him and offer a quick polite bow as I approach. His presence in the Force is serene and calm, a seemingly friendly fellow and I dearly hope we get along.

"Padawan Sarat, I am Master Zun Tavik, as of today, I will be your teacher in the ways of the Jedi." His voice is reassuring and slightly condescending in the way adults can be towards children but I'm too happy at being chosen to complain on that regard, especially since by his reckoning I am a child.

"Thank you Master Tavik, I promise to do my best as your Padawan." He takes the flattery well; bemusement clear in the way his Force aura shifts. He leads me from the room and out into the hallway, other Master-padawan pairs are milling in the hallway but I hardly have time to do more than wave at Ilena, Jang and Zey as Master Tavik leads me down the hallway.

"It's a bit crowded here Padawan, we'll talk more in the Room of a Thousand Fountains." Ooh, I love that room, it's the best part of the Temple outside the Library.

Our walk is mostly silent after that until we get to the Room of a Thousand Fountains, and it takes my breath away every time.

The Room of a Thousand Fountains is a seven-story tall greenhouse, from the wooden doors it is only a short walk to veranda, several stone and dirt paths extending into the rest of the room. The paths are lined with benches and small secluded zones for meditation, surrounded by plants from a thousand different worlds. Master Tavik leads me down one of the dirt paths, we cross a wooden bridge over a babbling brook of water from who only knows where, to a small grove out of sight.

Zun takes a seat in the grass, shifting to sit cross legged and gesturing for me to take a seat across from him. The grass is warm as I sit, instantly it becomes a matter of habit to breathe out and relax, it's like I'm ten and in meditation class with Master Yoda.

"This clearing is where my own Master took me every morning we were in the Temple. When I started training padawans I decided to do the same, it's so much easier to relax and teach here." He looks at me, as much as one without eyes can.

"Master Bondara speaks highly of you, eager to learn both the ways of the Force and Lightsaber and mature for your age. Normally that wouldn't have made me choose you, but Master Nu told me you were spending time in the library, researching some interesting data files."

He pauses to give me a chance to react and probably to gauge my reaction but the only surprise is that they kept track of certain searches. Understandable in hindsight but I was never too worried about that and I'm hardly going to react like my hand was caught in the proverbial cookie jar.

He takes my silence with a short chuckle before speaking. "I was intrigued by your curiosity regarding the practices of the Luka Sene, Matukai and other Force-using orders. Not many Jedi take interest in such groups, outside of a select few." I wish that he was lying but everything I've seen has said that he's not.

"The skills and applications of the Force they teach seem useful not to mention their different philosophical views on the Force itself. I had hoped to have the opportunity to study with them someday and share those skills with the Order." I mean, much of initiate training was physical conditioning, imagine if Matukai conditioning was given to incoming initiates. Saying that it would double the effectiveness of the Order is probably not doing enough credit to the training.

Master Tavik smiles and sits up, leaning on his hands for support, "Well it's your lucky day then Padawan, in my younger years I spent some time at the Alpheridies Academy and learned the arts practiced by the Luka Sene, I'd be happy to pass those skills onto you. The other groups, well maybe when you're older we'll see but let's just focus more on Jedi skills for now."

That's fair I suppose, not like they would just immediately agree to let me go learn from them but the option isn't off the table so I'll take it. The smile on my face is genuine relief and excitement as I reply.

"I'll do my best Master; you won't be disappointed." He gives a slight nod in acknowledgment before shifting to a traditional meditative position

"Very well padawan, we'll be taking our trip to Ilum for constructing your lightsaber in a week. Go move your clothing to your new room and meet me back here. We'll do some meditation exercises together." He hands me a datapad from within his robes, it has directions to my new room and the keycode for the door. I stand, nod and with a quick "Yes, Master" I'm off.

The walk back to the initiate dormitories feels off now, It's been my home for six years and now I'm moving, not far admittedly but I've gotten so used to my fellows sleeping and existing beside me it's going to be strange by myself. When I arrive Jang, Ilena, and Politrix are there talking animatedly between themselves while they pack. I smile when I see them, familiar as they are to me and step further into the room. Jang notices me first and beams, her aura bright as the sun.

"Viera! I knew you'd get selected, Ilena, Pol, and I all got chosen as well. Our Masters sent us to collect our things and move to our new rooms, I assume you're here to pack up and move too?" I can see Ilena carefully folding her spare clothes into a bag while Politrix watches.

"Yes, I was chosen by Master Zun Tavik, another Miraluka like me." Ilena stops packing for a moment to look up at me.

"Really? I wonder if he chose you because of your shared species, who better to help you focus on your natural sense abilities." Astute as ever and quite frankly something I was wondering myself.

"He chose her because he can see her potential, she's going to be eye-mazing!" Jang finishes her pun with a giggle while me and Ilena can only groan at the horrible pun. I'm chuckling regardless and even Politrix is smiling slightly though she doesn't laugh, she never has.

"You're horrible." Ilena grumbles and I can feel Jang about to fire back with another pun or horrible joke, distraction time.

"What about you three, who chose you?" Jang eagerly takes to the new topic, either not noticing the obvious distraction or not caring.

"Well, Master Rana is a part of the Starfighter Corps, I figure she'll probably teach me to be a Jedi Ace like she is. It's going to be so much fun, flying all over the galaxy, bringing pirates to justice." Didn't she die in a Starfighter? I-I hate that I know that fact, I'm listening to her enthuse about something that will eventually get her killed.

"I'm sure you'll be an excellent pilot Jang, Ilena, I assume your master is more combat oriented. It would suit your talents for lightsaber combat." She nods hefting her pack over her shoulders.

"Yes, Master Bridger is one of the foremost Weapon Masters of the Order, he says he'll teach me everything he knows about lightsaber combat. I like him, he seems nice. Pol's Master, Kaim is a diplomat so she's already leaving for Denon tomorrow." I spare a glance towards Politrix who has already packed her bag and has been mostly content to watch us talk.

"Master Kaim says there's a local dispute he has been asked to settle, his familiarity with the parties involved makes him ideally suited for resolving it." That's literally one of the longest sentence I've heard her speak in a year outside lessons. Hopefully Kaim can get her to open up a bit more.

"Oh! You're leaving Coruscant already? You're so lucky! Master Rana says we aren't leaving for Ilum for a week, and Ilena's going in a couple of days. What about you Viera, when is your Master taking you to construct your lightsaber?"

"We'll be leaving next week, Master Tavik wants to spend some time meditating before we go." Which means Jang and I will be going to Ilum together most likely, which is fine really, company is always good.

"What about the others though, did you hear from them yet?" Zey and Jai obviously are in the boy's dorm but Maks should have been here unless I just missed her. Ilena answers before Jang can go on another excited tangent.

"Zey and Jai are going to be investigators and Maks is studying with the Historians." Oh Maks, my dream job, if only I wasn't in danger of the Purge I would have gladly aimed for being a Jedi Historian. Ah well, once the Sith are dealt with I can devote myself to studying the countless histories of the galaxy.

By this point all my meagre possessions are in the standard carry bag we're provided with and as I heft it onto my back I can't help the urge to just look around the room. I lived here for years and now I'm moving on to a new stage in my life. It's going off to college all over again. A quick glance and I can see everyone else is having a similar realization, well Ilena is pretending she doesn't and reading Politrix's expression is tricky but I assume she feels the same.

"Hey, come here you three." I take a step into the middle of the small dorm, Jang practically skips over while Ilena and Pol walk more sedately. We're roughly in a circle, standing reasonably close together. Ilena is to my right and Politrix on my left with Jang in between the two, I give Jang a look, and I'm happy to note she's already figured out what's going on.

Ilena realizes it far too late and me and Jang have our arms around her shoulders, pulling her into the impromptu huddle, Politrix doesn't attempt to stop it or escape. Ilena grumbles about the close-contact but gives in easily, she's used to us by now.

"This is a new stage of our lives as Jedi, we won't see each other as often as we did before but we will still see each other plenty, we're still the best of friends, all of us and by the Force we'll all become Knights and train padawans of our own. For now, though we'll be the best padawans we can be." I'm no good with motivational speeches but its fallen on me to be the balance between Ilena's restraint and Jang's exuberance.

"Yeah, we're stuck together, like a pack." Huh, thanks Jang, that's an opportunity I'm not passing up.

"Yeah, we're the Padawan Pack." I'm rewarded with Jang laughing and that's reward enough really.

"We'll need to let Jai, Zey, and Maks know too." Ilena says after a moment, doing her best to sound like she's putting up with us but it is impossible to miss the way her aura brightens. Politrix is silent but I'm confident of her support.

"Alright then, let's not disappoint our Masters, let's go and be the best Jedi we can be." Motivational speech finished we all bid each other farewell and move on to our new rooms.

Mine seems to be surprisingly close considering but not going to complain about that, the room itself is sparse with a small single bed, a dresser for clothes, a stand with a data terminal, though I imagine its access to library records is mostly restricted without authorization, and a small refresher and shower attachment. It's also connected by a door to another room and I imagine that's likely Tavik's.

Honestly it's almost like a hostel room except meant for a single person instead of four or five. Cramped compared to my old home but it's my own room with my own privacy and that's just awesome after six years of bunking with other people, no matter how much I may like them.

After that it's back to the Room of a Thousand Fountains to find Master Tavik waiting for me, apparently while I was gone he left and came back because now there's a half dozen small objects arrayed around him. Mostly little trinkets but I can imagine the purpose.

"Welcome back Padawan, take a seat, I've got some things here for an exercise I'd like you to do while we meditate." I take my seat across from him, relaxing on the grass as he levitates the six objects in front of him.

"Padawan, while we meditate I want you to levitate each of these objects with the Force then once you're comfortable with that start spinning them in a circle around you. We'll do this for as long as you want to or until you can't anymore." Okay then, simple in theory it's a combination of exercises done as initiates. I take a moment to breathe in and relax before beginning.

The Force for me has always been like the sun, whenever I call on it for things other than basic sight its always felt like a warm sunny day, that feeling of the bathing in the warmth of the sun on a good summer day, growing up in Florida there were plenty of them, a good visual as any.

Now as the warmth suffuses through my skin and down to my bones, the anxieties of the past, my worries about the future gradually begin to fade out, floating away as if by a breeze while I remain grounded in place. The meditation classes as an initiate taught me well and as I take another deep breath to steady myself I allow my focus to spread out to the world around me, the grass beneath me, warm to the touch imbued with the light from the ceiling, swaying leaves in an artificial breeze, in the background the bubbling brooks and flowing waterfalls. In front of me the six trinkets begin to shake and slowly rise from the ground.

"Focus on the Force, feel the objects as they lift as if you were grasping them yourself. Don't focus too much on them or you'll overcompensate and it won't work. Remember work with the Force don't try to impose your will on it." The shaking begins to cease as they rise higher and higher. By now they're at head level with me.

"You're doing good Viera now when you're ready start spinning them, take it slow at first and build up speed." The warmth spreads to my fingers and in a moment they're clasped together as I narrow my focus onto the objects, giving them a gentle push to spin. The image of a Ferris-Wheel enters my head and I shift the objects slightly so they begin to spin in a circle.

"Don't narrow your focus Padawan, that's not a habit you want to get into." I don't nod as I'm trying to focus but I let myself expand my focus on my surroundings. I can understand that reasoning, no point doing better if you blind yourself to everything else around you. The objects wobble slightly but soon steady themselves and resume spinning.

For a while we just sit there, me levitating these trinkets with Master Tavik occasionally calling out encouragements or correcting me when I begin losing focus or stray from the goal. Soon though it becomes harder to maintain my focus, the trinkets wobble more and more and a dull throbbing in the back of my head tells me that we've been doing this for a long time.

Eventually it's too much and I drop the trinkets with a groan, falling back and laying down on the grass, my head is spinning slightly and it feels like a gong has gone off in my skull. Master Tavik nods to himself and smiles.

"Good work Padawan, a solid two hours, not bad for a beginner but we'll work on improving that later. Eventually you'll want to be able to do this without strain for several hours but that will come later, along with some more difficult exercises."

I stand shakily, still a little dizzy, and try to stretch my muscles, Master Tavik hasn't stood yet but simply looks up at me with a content expression.

"Go grab some lunch and we'll do some more exercises, you should feel better by then." I nod and bow, careful to not fall over forward before departing.

My first day as a Padawan, I'm quite excited for what comes next but also worried.


	3. Book one: Part Two

The journey to Ilum is a relatively tedious one, travelling a long contiguous jump from Metellos that requires either advanced navigation computers or a Jedi Master piloting. In our case, we had Master Rana, a human woman in her late thirties with short hair tied in a ponytail. Jang's Jedi Master and noted Jedi Ace.

The small transport we're traveling in, Senate-class, in addition to its terrible naming scheme is not spacious at all. Barely enough room for the four of us in a single bunk room for sleeping, a connected refresher and a small eatery set aside for food. The rest is basically cargo and the pilot's seat. I'm more than used to being in tight confined spaces, living in a dorm with twelve other girls of various species prepared me well enough. Dealing with Jang's exuberance in such confined spaces is likewise familiar enough that I can simply tune it out.

Master Rana and Master Tavik less so, they watch Jang practically bounce around the room with her excitement with a combination of amusement, and wariness. They don't seem to want to stop her but also seem worried of her causing an explosion or other form of destruction of the ship's interior. That they eventually set us to meditation to keep us occupied is no surprise though Jang spent her time not meditating in the cockpit with Rana learning more about piloting.

I'd have liked to join her, we had the opportunity to play around in pilot sims our last two years as initiates but not as much as I'd have liked and being able to fly a ship would be fun I think. Master Tavik had me doing other things though, continuing the same exercise he had me doing previously with the obvious goal of getting me familiar and used to using the Force in such a manner.

Which is why I'm sitting here now, in the bunkroom, Master Rana and Master Tavik are in the cockpit discussing what I don't know and Jang is right beside me, talking. Talking incessantly, I don't think she even knows I've stopped replying, probably doesn't care, though to be fair I don't either.

"This is going to be so exciting! We're going to finally get our own lightsabers; what color will they be, what kind?" It's hard not to smile and listen, I'm certainly anticipating having an actual lightsaber but the fact that I won't even get to see what color it is makes it a bit depressing. It's otherwise just a tool to use, Jang's excited enough for me too.

"The crystal caves on Ilum are supposed to be so beautiful, Master Rana says that Ilum is itself a vergence of the Force, that the caves can cause visions and trials to those who enter seeking crystals."

Oh, right I had chosen to not think about that part of it. Master Tavik had told me the same thing, the caves would throw visions at me while I went in and that I might have visions while constructing the lightsaber itself. Quite the troubling idea, as I'm not sure what kind of trial or vision the Force might throw at me, does the Force realize my nature as a being from presumably another dimension? If so will it throw things related to that at me?

"Ooh Viera, what if my lightsaber was a saber staff or a lightwip? That'd be so cool, an exotic saber type would be awesome."

"I'm not sure if Master Rana is capable of properly teaching you how to use either of those weapons, you'd have to find a specialized teacher for your specific weapon."

"Maybe but it would still be awesome, right? There aren't many Jedi who use those weapons, it would be something special and notable."

I'm not sure what kind of lightsaber I'll make, its supposedly a thing that just happens while you're attuned to the Force, not necessarily a conscious decision. I imagine that it'll probably be a standard saber, at least I hope it is, I really don't want to have to go through the hassle of specialized training for one of the more exotic variants. Jang will probably get a standard saber if I remember right but then again maybe not.

I'm more interested in whether I could get away with using the visions here as a justification for preparing the Republic for the future, maybe even outing Sidious and his master to the Order. The obvious problem is that Master Tavik and the other Jedi might sense that I'm telling the truth about them being Sith but not about seeing it in a vision and doubt me. Or that they'll go with the logic that I only believe it to be true and not dismiss it. Is that a risk I want to take right now while I'm just some ordinary padawan, its chances of success are low and if it fails then they won't believe me later.

I could consider finding a Jedi Shadow to point in their direction but aside from the fact that there are few Shadows around right now, they're kept on a very short leash by the Council due to their tendency to paranoia. So, convincing one to see Palpatine as a Sith might not be too difficult, but getting the rest of the Jedi to believe them would be much harder. Maybe I can find and make friends with Taria Damsin and try to push her towards the Sith.

I suppose I'll have to wait and see if I even have any visions and of what before I decide to try and manipulate anything. But back to the issue at hand, I tilt my head in Jang's direction and offer her a smile.

"It would be very cool Jang, but impractical to burden another Jedi with special training and would take away from the training our Masters provided." She sighs dramatically at my complete lack of enthusiasm for her idea but acquiesces.

"I suppose, it'd delay training and make it harder for us to all become Knights together."

"We are the Padawan Pack after all." She smiles brightly and in that moment, I remind myself that I will do my best to not see her die.

"Yeah, we stick together, thick and thin." The moment is interrupted by Master Tavik entering the cabin.

"We just exited hyperspace, landing is in twenty, get into your winter gear and be ready to go." Time to go then, he heads back to the cockpit while we quickly get dressed and head to the small kitchen to grab some food.

The food here has been an experience I haven't decided whether to praise or abhor yet. Mostly it's been bread, fruits and vegetables of various sorts and the most meat I've eaten has been in stews. Some of it has been good, some not so much. I still shiver at the thought of Yoda's lunch special, but they'd dared me to try it!

Thankfully Master Tavik and Master Rana brought more palatable food and I help myself to some bread and fruit from the food synthesizer while Jang does the same. By the time we finish eating we've made planetfall and our Masters have likewise changed and prepared themselves for Ilum.

The ramp lowers and the view is breathtaking, not the vista as without color it's all translucent, but the Force is powerful here, the very ground radiates with Force energy, forming swirls of energy and patterns floating around the ground and mountain ranges to provide a mystifying effect.

Merely breathing is an invigorating sensation that I can hardly describe. Beside me Jang is staring in wonder at the snow and ice formations but that's not important right now. I just want to fall and breathe in this entire place, bask in the glow of the Force.

Master Tavik and Master Rana are both already heading off to the nearby cave entrance and reluctantly I follow them towards it, Jang right behind me, the cave entrance doesn't seem like anything special but as they lead us inside I can see crystals of various sorts and sizes already protruding from the walls and ground, the tunnel extending further inwards and a noticeably out of place box in the corridor. Master Rana and Master Tavik are already standing by it.

"Alright Padawans, listen up, inside this box are pre-prepared packs with all the materials you'll need for lightsaber construction." Rana lifts out two packs and hands one to me and the other to Jang as Tavik waits nearby.

"Go down the tunnel until you come to a fork, split up from there. The Force will guide you onward, but remember this chant: The crystal is the heart of the blade. The heart is the crystal of the Jedi. The Jedi is the crystal of the Force. The Force is the blade of the heart. All are intertwined: the crystal, the blade, the Jedi. We are one."

She has us repeat the chant a few times till she's sure we'll remember it. I think it won't matter too much if I forget but I really don't want to. I've become somewhat fascinated with the ritual and ceremony behind the Order, the franchise didn't do enough to impart the general monasticism of the Jedi.

"Will we have enough parts in these packs for our lightsaber construction, what if we end up constructing something exotic?" Master Tavik nods in response to my question.

"Yes, the packs have enough materials for multiple lightsabers, so no matter what type of saber you end up making you'll be covered." He walks over towards me and crouches down, placing his hands on my shoulders. I realize this is supposed to be a touching reassurance to his young padawan but to me its just a bit creepy. He doesn't mean anything bad with it so I ignore it and let him have his piece.

"The tunnels will throw visions at you along the way, remember your training and work past them, you might also have visions while you construct your lightsaber, remember to trust the Force." I nod and he smiles, standing up straight and stepping back.

"Then good luck Padawan." Rana is already offering Jang her own advice and after a moment we're both off. For once Jang is silent as we approach the fork, I guess even she feels anxiety as much as her exuberance hides it

As we reach the fork I reach out to her, resting my hand on her shoulder and giving a firm squeeze.

"It'll be alright Jang, go make your lightsaber, I'll see you on the other side." She grins and nods, rushing down the left tunnel. I can't help but chuckle at her antics before turning down the right tunnel.

It doesn't really seem that bad at first, the tunnel is fairly illuminated with the Force, the coat is warm, and I'm not in the tunnel anymore.

Wait what?

That's not snow, there's sky and trees and grass and everything else expected of an idyllic garden world. I'm confident I haven't been teleported, only the Dark Woman can teleport so this must be what Master Tavik warned me about. Goddamnit this isn't really what I wanted out of this, I just wanted to get the lightsaber and get out. Alright, deep breath, breathe in and breathe out. I'm here and there's no going back now, just push forward.

The path before me goes downhill and I really hope that while I'm hallucinating this that my body isn't just walking into the actual tunnel walls and getting covered in snow. That would suck so much.

The rolling hill morphs and shifts as I walk, landscape changing from grassy hills to mountains and snowscapes and oceans of a thousand worlds. I don't recognize any of these places, kind of worried that I should but I'll deal with that later. What looks like a meteorite crashes down from the sky ahead of me, the sudden screaming sound and rumbling knocking me off my feet.

Alright, stand up, check for any bruises. No? I'm good then, time to go, I start to jog as I head in the direction of the crashing meteorite, nothing else to do and its straight ahead of me anyways. As I get closer I can't suppress the gnawing sensation growing in my gut even as I try to suppress and ignore it.

As it turns out, it wasn't a meteorite but a crashed starship. I don't recognize the design, the frame is too mangled and torn to be recognizable, fire is everywhere with debris scattered about the area. The pit in my gut is still there and now it's worse than ever, a quick scan of the area reveals the corpse on the other and of the wreck, facedown charred and still burning.

I step closer to the corpse, drawn in by something I can hardly explain to myself, the corpse's uniform is burned away, but the human features are present and I can see enough signs to say it was a woman. The hands are outstretched as if grasping for something and despite every instinct screaming not to I approach the hands, noticing its holding something, something metallic.

Holding a lightsaber.

For a moment, I just stare blankly, is this me, is the Force trying to show me how I die. I genuinely don't know but the feeling of recognition, that I should know is haunting me. Until I get it, it comes with a single moment of realization and I feel weak in the knees.

That's Jang, in canon she was shot down by Ventress. She died grasping at her lightsaber, an instinctual reaction per Ventress. The corpse doesn't suddenly animate and blame me for failing to save her and for that I'm grateful. I feel like I'm beating myself up as is, but no she's not dead, I just saw her a few minutes ago, she was fine.

I take a step back from the corpse, just to get distance and put as much distance between myself and that as I can. There's a small path leading further down the path and I take it gladly, so the question of whether the Force knows of my foreknowledge is answered.

She won't die, I won't allow it, she will survive this. The path leads off into a jungle and I'm not surprised when the path behind me disappears. The only way out is forward and I take it, pushing through leaves and brush to find a way out, anywhere I can go that isn't here. I just want to get my lightsaber built and leave.

"Viera!" the words stop me dead in my tracks as I look around for the source of the voice, my name is called again and I spin in place until I see her, approaching through the brush towards me.

"Pol!" Politrix is moving through the jungle towards me, another vision, she's on Denon right now this isn't her. It's another vision and she's going to die, I remember how she dies even as the grenade sails out from the trees towards her.

"Pol, look out, there's a grenade!" I shout trying to warn her off, she calls my name again apparently heedless of the danger even as the grenade detonates, and she disappears in a flash of fire and smoke.

Before I can even go to her the room shifts to metal, Maks and Jai are there with lightsabers drawn. The trend is clear now and even as I shout a warning Maks cries out in pain as a lightsaber blade erupts from her chest, the blade sizzling the flesh as she drops to the ground. Jai is next as two lightsabers neatly cut him in half, he doesn't make a sound as he falls to the ground.

"Viera." Jai mutters, repeating over and over and over. I can't move, he's not dead his master took him to Taris on a mission. Maks is on Tython studying the Jedi ruins there she's fine, they have to be fine. They're not dead, I didn't fail to save them cause they're not dead yet.

The world shifts before I can get to them, I'm in the Temple now, this is the Jedi Temple. Ilena and Zey are the only two of my friends I haven't seen yet. I know Zey survives the war because his clone decides to save him, so only Ilena is left. I can feel the bile building up as I step through the ruined Temple corridors, bodies litter the hallway clone and Jedi alike. Young and old, we're near the initiate halls right now. Ilena was a lightsaber instructor so she would have been here, teaching initiates lightsaber techniques.

Ilena's body is in the east hall by the stairs. There are several initiate bodies around her, she was obviously trying to get them to safety when she was killed. Numerous clone corpses surround her but the felling wound was a lightsaber to the chest, it seems Anakin killed her. I'm shaking as I stare at the corpse, I can't help it, it feels so real. Her body is cold to the touch, the stench of death is everywhere and I can feel the anger and pain in the air around me. Why, why show me this.

"It's because you're going to fail, do you really think you can stop what's coming?" Zey is behind me now, alive and well, it makes sense that as the only survivor would be the one to do this.

"You think because you know what happens that you can prevent this. What can you really do, the enemy is stronger than you, has more resources and even if you manage to change anything, then what? Then you'll be no better, you'll have no idea what's coming next." Breathe in and breathe out, just keep breathing.

"Sidious has advantage you can't match, no one will believe you without concrete evidence, how do you plan to get that evidence? Sidious hides his connection to the Dark Side well and you know they'll believe a respected Senator over some deranged Padawan."

"Your plan to prepare won't work, Sidious will sabotage it before it can get off the ground his power and reach is beyond anything you can hope to match. How do you plan to solve this? Can you even save them?

"I-I don't know, I can't know, what else can I do? I can't escape having to deal with it, the purge isn't just going to prevent itself if I do nothing, I don't want to die, I don't want my friends to die." I didn't ask for this, I didn't want this burden, I never wanted it.

"Can you save them? Even if you prevent the circumstances that killed them originally, they'll just die somewhere else, to something else. You can't protect them from the galaxy, no matter how much you may want to!" The frustration and anger has reached a crescendo within me and I turn to face him

"What else can I do! I'm not going to just sit back and do nothing. If I do nothing when I know what's coming, then how could I live with myself." Zey doesn't react but begins to circle me,

"You could accept the future, the fate of this galaxy. When the time comes stand and fall with your fellow Jedi or retreat into hiding and hit at Sidious when the rebellion happens."

"No, I refuse to accept that this is my fate, the fate of the galaxy. I'll do whatever I can to prevent that outcome I will deny this fate, one way or the other." He laughs, still circling me and I can see his shoulders shaking with mirth.

"And you believe you can do this, you think that you can stop what's coming, the seeds of war are already planted all it will take is one good spark to set the galaxy aflame. Do you think you can prepare the Jedi, the Republic for this storm?" He stops in front of me again, staring intently.

"No, not alone but I can help others prepare, get other people invested and get things moving towards readiness. I won't stop, not now and not ever!"

"And your friends."

I'm breathing heavily, their deaths echoing in my mind. I can't save them, not from everything. If I should cause them some more pain by preventing their canon death, then I don't know if I could live with myself. But they're clearly not going to just ignore the war if it comes to it, there's no way I'll convince them to just run away from the Jedi and hide.

"I can only do my best, I can only be the best. I'll do everything I can to keep them alive and if they die even after all the changes I make then at least I know I did my best, I can live with that and I know they would understand that."

Zey looks at me for a long moment, I don't know what he'll say, strictly speaking he's a Force manifestation here to make me question my convictions. The fact that he's been an asshole about it is beside the point.

"You do that Jedi, you'll need something to cling to, for what's coming. Already your presence will change a great many things and not just for the better. Remain strong Jedi." Zey fades away into nothingness just as the ruined Temple does and before me lies a crystal, glowing strong in the Force.

Well that happened, where am I, how did I get into this cavern, I don't even see the tunnel anywhere near me, not even footprints in the snow. The pack containing the lightsaber parts are at my feet and here I am. I grab the crystal and instantly feel so much better, so much calmer now. Alright, I take a seat and move to a meditative position. What were the words again, ah yes I remember.

"The crystal is the heart of the blade. The heart is the crystal of the Jedi. The Jedi is the crystal of the Force. The Force is the blade of the heart. All are intertwined: the crystal, the blade, the Jedi. We are one."

The various parts of the lightsaber float up around me alongside the crystal. The Force swirls around me, the warm sensation on my skin moves through me as the parts begin to float together. The methods of lightsaber creation were taught to us in our last year as initiates until we memorized them. For this moment, apparently.

"The crystal is the heart of the blade. The heart is the crystal of the Jedi. The Jedi is the crystal of the Force. The Force is the blade of the heart. All are intertwined: the crystal, the blade, the Jedi. We are one."

The pieces move closer together forming the generic shape of the lightsaber, they're not fused together, I have to do that with the Force. The crystal resonates within the lightsaber shell as I work to hold the lightsaber together.

"The crystal is the heart of the blade. The heart is the crystal of the Jedi. The Jedi is the crystal of the Force. The Force is the blade of the heart. All are intertwined: the crystal, the blade, the Jedi. We are one."

Now comes the tricky part, using the Force to fuse it together. It's a hard thing to articulate, using the Force to make the disparate pieces fuse together on a molecular level which seems difficult and odd, why a molecular level.

"The crystal is the heart of the blade. The heart is the crystal of the Jedi. The Jedi is the crystal of the Force. The Force is the blade of the heart. All are intertwined: the crystal, the blade, the Jedi. We are one."

The lightsaber pieces are aligned, the crystal is in place and the fusing process begins, the most intense concentration is required for this and I do my best to block out all other thoughts and sink into the Force, just the Force and my lightsaber.

The cave around me disappears and I'm off to somewhere I don't recognize. Not this again, I don't want more castigation from the Force. But this seems different, I look around and kick myself for not recognizing where I am, a rocky and barren wasteland with no one around. A single tree stands in front of a large ruined structure that, in my opinion, feels like a Jedi Temple.

Is this Ossus, it is isn't it, that would make the tree Ood Bnar the Neti Jedi Master who turned himself into a tree to protect a collection of Jedi relics from Exar Kun. I can go recover him and the relics there, that would be useful for the Order. I wish the Force had shown me a vision I could use against Palpatine but beggars can't be choosers.

When my senses return, my lightsaber is on the snow in front of me, apparently fused together, how nice. I reach for it and stand. The moment of truth, I press the activator switch and the lightsaber springs to life with a snap-hiss.

"This is awesome, now to go find the others and get off this rock and away from pesky visions." I hook my new lightsaber to my belt and head off to look for the tunnel out of here. It's not that far away surprisingly enough, still no tracks of me walking in here or of how much time has passed, that's worrying.

Finding my way back is thankfully not as difficult as it could be, the Force doesn't force me into anymore visions, just the two. Master Tavik and Master Rana are waiting at the point where the tunnels converge and I can see Master Tavik smile as I approach and remove my lightsaber, activating it to show him I succeeded.

"Huh, Green's a good color for you Padawan." Rana says as she looks down the other tunnel and waits for Jang.

"Did you see anything during your journey Padawan? It's not uncommon for Miraluka given our increased sensory perceptions of the Force." A pointed question, yay but one I have an honest answer for.

"I saw a ruined, rocky world, with abandoned ruins and a single tree growing within them." I have to remember I don't know that the tree is Ood Bnar or that the world is Ossus, I can develop that later. Master Tavik nods, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"Meditate on it later, it might have an ulterior meaning or it could be a premonition of events to come, the Force speaks to us in different ways." The Force is an asshole is what it is. Still I settle in and let myself fall into a simple meditation exercise while we wait for Jang.

"Master Rana, Viera!" I can hear her already, alongside the sounds of her running down the tunnel towards me. I stand and brush the snow off my coat, as she excitedly holds out her lightsaber, pressing the activation switch to show her success as well. Rana is clearly amused by something as she chuckles.

"And another green saber, think they coordinated that between them Tavik?" she says, glancing his way. Jang gasps and runs over to me and points at the lightsaber on my belt.

"You have a green lightsaber too, that's so cool, we match now." She grins and pats me on the shoulder and I smile even though I'm so tired from the day's events, she must have had an easy vision quest.

"Yeah, we match Jang, good to see you succeeded." She giggles even though it's not that funny.

"Well of course I did, we are the Padawan Pack, we stick together." I can hear Rana laughing and pointedly do not grimace, that may have been a poor idea on my part. I can tell it's going to be a thing that I will quickly tire of.

"Can we go back to the Temple now, I'm going to collapse in a moment." Master Tavik smiles and nods, turning towards the cave mouth.

"Agreed, come along Padawans let's go home." I nod and follow while Jang hangs back to talk excitedly with Master Rana. The vision from the cave still forms a pit in my gut and I expect my dreams to be plagued with some nightmares for the next few weeks but I'll cope, I'll have to.

I will deny my fate.


	4. Book one: Part Three

44BBY Room of a Thousand Fountains Six Months Later

This is my life now, I'm sprawled out on the grass, basking in the warmth of the artificial lights and the general peace, my muscles are still sore but the good kind of sore that reminds you of the good exercise you've done. My lightsaber is resting on my belt and even now six months later I enjoy holding it in my hands, feeling it. Master Tavik thinks I may have gotten a Pontite crystal for my saber which would explain why it's so calming to hold.

In other news, now that I'm a padawan I've gained new opportunities, most significant the freedom of the Temple, when I'm not on assignment or training with Master Tavik. The Great Holocron in the Temple Archives is also now available to me and is simultaneously the most amazing and depressing thing ever. So much knowledge available to me, thousands of Jedi offering teachings ranging from cartographical reports on outlying systems to great Jedi philosophers discussing aspects of Jedi lore and doctrine. Even better is that they're actually interactive, I can talk and converse with them. Unfortunately, I've had to force myself to broaden my horizons and skillset to better prepare myself for what's coming, otherwise I'd never leave the Archives.

Master Tavik has been running me through Ataru and Niman forms in our training spars which is a bit of a mixed blessing, Ataru's a decent form but Niman is terrible for what I know is coming. It has no use in open battlefields and every noted practitioner of it who was at Geonosis died. Master Tavik disagrees with my criticism of this form and in his defense, he doesn't know what's coming. It's still frustrating though.

Ilena has been a much better sparring partner for this reason, she's all too willing to practice Ataru with me and whenever the two of us have some free time we tend to gravitate to the training rooms to practice against each other. I've also spent some time practicing blaster deflection with training remotes, sensing them is easy but testing my reflexes is the point.

Beyond that I've been meditating and practicing moving objects with the Force whenever I can. Flight simulators with Jang, sparring with Ilena, helping Maks with her studies, practicing with Jai and Zey when they're around, and discussing politics with Politrix. My free time has been severely limited as of late. Especially with how tense the Temple has been for the past three weeks. Master Tavik and the other senior Jedi aren't talking about it but I've noticed the tension. Is Galidraan about to happen, or the Stark Hyperspace War maybe? I know they're coming up soon just not exactly when.

Even now the Room of a Thousand Fountains is silent, the waterfall has stopped flowing and I think I'm the only one here right now, not even Yoda and he loves meditating at the bridge leading up to the waterfall.

I did manage to talk to Yoda in private after Ilum and talk to him about my vision in the cave and my belief that the old Academy on Ossus is what I was shown. He didn't commit to anything and I didn't expect him to but he said he'd meditate on it and bring it up to the Council during a free moment, so here's hoping.

Though now that I consider it, why is it so quiet in here, that's not right. I stand slowly, breathing out and calling on the Force I can feel my senses expand and fill the room around me. There's one person in the room with me now, they're…..at the top of the waterfall? Alright, I should probably go see what's going on. I swear something's off, I feel I should know what's going on but the memory is eluding me now.

Finding the path isn't hard nor is making the trek up to the top of the waterfall, the old me from before I came here would have been panting by the end of it, instead I'm not even winded. The top of the waterfall is a lake with rocky outcroppings on the side wide enough to walk on. I've contemplated swimming here but with the Waterfall it's too dangerous. Where's the person I sensed, I narrow my focus to the room and frown as the Force directs me to the lake.

Why is there someone in the lake? And why are they chained there, not moving. I don't even think as I toss my lightsaber to one of the rocks and dive in, the water is cold and refreshing but my goal is the person, small and close to my age, chained to the depths, they're still alive as I can feel them respond to my approach.

My hands feel for whatever's holding them in place, there are several, one around the neck, one holding both hands together and one around the feet. Go for the hands first, then they can help you do the rest. The synthcord is taut and firm but a few tugs with the Force has it undone quickly. My breath is almost out so I shoot to the surface for air, whoever's down there can obviously, breath underwater so they shouldn't need me with their hands freed.

After a few moments, a young Mon Calamari female surfaces and smiles at me, I don't immediately recognize her but she's another padawan I think. I swim towards the rock where I left my lightsaber and pull myself up, she's right behind me.

"Thank you so much, I thought I'd be trapped down there until they came back for me." She says as I help her out of the water.

"You're welcome, who's they and why did they tie you up down there? You're a Mon Calamari, what's the point of tying you up underwater?" If they were trying to kill her they failed spectacularly, she doesn't seem to notice the sarcasm.

"Xanatos and Bruck wanted me out of the way so they could destroy the Temple, they've stolen the Healing Crystals of Fire and plan to use them to ignite the Temple's fusion furnace." The-wait! Xanatos, Bruck Chun, the super healing crystals with the cliché name. I'd forgotten all about them, mostly because I found Xanatos to be a completely uninteresting character, same with Bruck. That means this has to be Bant Erin, Obi-Wan's friend.

"Where are they now?" I expand my senses again, the last thing I need is either Xanatos or Chun showing up here now, Chun I could probably handle but not Xanatos.

"I'm not sure, they chained me down here and left a little bit ago, I don't know where."

That's unfortunate, and would probably explain why the Temple's been on alert for the past week or so, goddamn it, I never cared for that plotline so I'd just ignored it. Now it's here to bite me on the ass. Well it was never a problem before without my help, not like I'm going to fuck this up.

"Alright, you're free now so we'll go get some of the Masters and let them stop the Temple from exploding." I really don't want to get involved in this situation any more than I need to, Xanatos was a terrible character and I shouldn't even be needed to solve him, let Qui-Gon deal with him.

I hear clashing lightsabers approach from above as I finish that statement and I suppress some very unhelpful language. Of course this would happen the minute I got involved. Alright I don't remember exactly who fights here if it's Xanatos and Qui-Gon then we need to run but if it's not then-

"Obi-Wan!" Bant's shout snaps my train of thought but it's actually the best news I could ask for as I look upwards, there he is, a young Ewan McGregor, lightsaber flashing as he retreats along the upper walkway. Normally its used by Temple staff to activate the lights, waterfalls, and ambient sound for the room but they're nowhere to be seen. Obi-Wan is fighting another young man, Bruck Chun if I had to guess.

"Bant, go find a Master and tell them about the furnace and what's going on here, I'll help your friend." Thankfully, with no weapon she's not in position to argue and takes off. Alright here goes nothing. I take hold of my lightsaber and ignite it, instantly as the blade extends I feel calm and the stress fades away.

The Force is my ally as I leap, allowing the Force to extend and guide my jump, I've practiced force jumping on occasion and it's surprisingly easy but still every time I feel anxious. It's such an exhilarating rush and then terror as inertia reasserts itself and pulls you towards the ground. As I land on the walkway, my lightsaber is already moving, guided not by my own hand as Bruck's lightsaber comes toward me. Okay he's reacting quickly, but he couldn't beat Obi-Wan in canon so with me here he's in even worse shape.

"Another weakling come to die." Bruck from what I remember was the stereotypical jock type bully. Which is weird, how the hell did that attitude survive initiate training

"He's fallen to the Dark Side, be careful!" Thank you, Obi-Wan I hadn't noticed, the obvious. It's odd however, this is my first encounter with someone consciously using the Dark Side, I remember the typical yellow eyes of doom but as a Miraluka it's rather different. Despite Obi-Wan's words he hasn't fallen, not yet, but he's close. The Force swirls around him but it's twisting in places, distorted. It's almost like looking at something through a kaleidoscope or looking at a tree with a single rot inside and seeing it grow. It's honestly disturbing, and I have to force myself to keep looking at him, I need to defeat him quickly.

Another strike comes my way and I raise my saber to block. Obi-Wan tries to attack from behind, oddly content with a lethal strike but Bruck simply disengages with me and turns to block Obi-Wan.

Alright, this is harder than I thought, he's open but do I kill him? It would be easy to do, he's not nearly good enough to fight me and Obi-Wan, finding an opening to kill him would be easy. It's not the Jedi way though, non-lethal is the name of the game unless no other choice presents itself. Taking him alive it is then.

I swing my lightsaber towards him, aiming for destroy his own lightsaber when he ducks and I have to quickly stop before I sever Obi-Wan's head. Damnit, he seems to have figured out a strategy of trying to force us into each other.

Well I can play that game, we don't need to win, we just need to stall. I raise my lightsaber into a defensive position and wait, Bruck watches me and Obi-Wan warily for a moment before he senses I'm not moving against him. He takes the cue and begins to attack Obi-Wan furiously as I follow, not necessarily attacking but still staying close enough to intervene. Obi-Wan seems to be tired and he spares me an incredulous glance

"What're you standing there for, help me!" Obi-Wan is not as amused by my less than helpfulness, alright might as well give him a break for a few minutes.

"Alright, disengage and rest, let me handle him." Step forward, overhand Shii-Cho slash and watch as Bruck blocks it reflexively, continue engaging to draw his attention. Obi-Wan seems to understand my plan and hangs back cautiously, I can see the exhaustion in him from here.

"Another weak padawan like Oafy-Wan there, Xanatos was right you're all fools not to use this power." Oh, my god he sounds like a combination of Biff Tannen and Flash from the Spider-Man cartoons. I do not grace him with a reply and continue my strategy of delaying, it can't take that long for Bant to find a more experienced Jedi to come to our aid, if we even need it

Unlike Obi-Wan, Bruck is not nearly as exhausted and he seems to be more than willing to lash out at anyone nearby, he takes a swing for Obi-Wan but is forced to back off when I press the attack.

"You can die first, bitch," Very mature, he's not a happy camper. I offer a smile in return and flourish my saber in an over the top manner, which only angers him more.

Bruck seems to have not realized my plan, all too happy to just attack my defense furiously, Obi-Wan is watching and waiting for a sign to take over and attack but I've got this for the moment, Bruck is hitting surprisingly hard and fast, obviously, the boon the Dark Side has given him. However, it's pointless as I'm still better than him, compared to Ilena this is nothing.

Seriously she hits like a truck.

His strength and stamina is not limitless though and eventually it seems like but he's tiring, his swings coming slower and with less force. Where the hell are the senior Jedi? They better be busy keeping the Temple from exploding, otherwise this delay is horrible. Bruck growls, something I don't hear and cuts the grating below him and jumping towards the top of the waterfall. I make to follow but the walkway splits under me and I'm forced to jump to the ground. I summon the Force again; the bright warmth of the sun invigorates my body and guides me to safety on the rocks lining the lake. A quick look shows Obi-Wan has done likewise.

Bruck is already further down the hill, he's trying to run.

"After him! Keep him contained." I leap after him, and as I descend he turns, swinging to try to bisect me as I land. My Ataru training with Master Tavik kicks in, the basic rolls at least. The minute I hit the ground I'm ducking and rolling backwards, his blade passing inches over my head. Okay, that was too close, we're in the open now-Ah, he's kicked me, I'm tumbling down the slope.

He's chasing me, my saber is deactivated so I don't accidentally kill myself and he's almost on top of me. I come to a halt, momentum finally stalled and I see him standing over me for a moment before Obi-Wan tackles him from behind. He stumbles forward and trips over me, sending both him and Obi-Wan to the ground in a tangle of limbs.

I scramble to my feet, and look around, Bruck's Lightsaber is farther off and I rush for it, igniting my own saber and destroying it with one clean cut, the grass around it scorched from the strike. Alright, that's done with now back to Obi-Wan.

And his own saber has been knocked aside, the two have descended into almost childish brawling, I hesitate for only a moment, I'm already done with this shit and I stride over to Bruck who is too busy punching Obi-Wan to notice me before I kick him in the face. His head jerks with the force of the kick and he's unconscious immediately.

He'll wake with a massive headache and in some serious trouble but I don't really care about him anymore. Obi-Wan stands slowly, panting noticeably from his ordeal. He does not look relieved though.

"My friend Bant, she's missing, Bruck said they'd taken her somewhere." Oh, well I can relieve his fears there.

"Don't worry, I found her in the lake and sent her off to find a Master to fix this whole situation." By all means, let's end this so I can go back to training for the upcoming war. Obi-Wan offers his hand and I take it, shaking firmly as I was taught.

"Thank you for that then, I'm Obi-Wan Kenobi, padawan to Qui-Gon Jinn." Force that accent is amazing, I'm remembering why I adored Obi-Wan in the prequels, but now is not the time.

"Viera Sarat, padawan to Zun Tavik, a pleasure to meet you Obi-Wan." He takes a moment to retrieve his lightsaber and I walk over to Brun's, a bit of fiddling around with the casing reveals the transmitter I just remembered was there. Now we have some evidence should any shenanigans happen.

"What is going on here!" And that's when Anoon Bondarda storms into the room in all his Battlemaster glory, I just shrug and point to Obi-Wan.

"Ask him, I just got here."

After that things began to happen very quickly, Bruck was expelled from the Order and last I heard he was facing charges for his role in the attempted destruction of the Temple, Xanatos fled but died on Telos IV as normal.

Obi-Wan and I received a commendation from the Council, Obi-Wan for his part in discovering the plot, myself for rescuing Bant and the both of us for working together to defeat the fallen initiate. Master Tavik seemed quite pleased and I'll take that as a plus.

Afterwards Obi-Wan, Bant, and Siri Tachi joined our little group of padawans. Bant took to Maks and Jai quite well and Obi-Wan and Siri have proven to be adept and able duelists for both myself and Ilena.

However, a few weeks later I found myself with Master Tavik, Qui-Gon, and Obi-Wan before the Jedi Council, I assume we're here for a mission together, but what kind of mission I wonder.

Master Yoda stares deliberately at each of us for a moment before he taps his cane on the ground.

"Emerged, a crisis has, Pirates in the Outer Rim have joined together into a collective. Powerful and dangerous they have proven to be." Mace picks up from there.

"A pirate by the name of Iaco Stark has brought several different pirate groups together to form an army, they have all but stopped traffic out of Thyferra and if this continues we'll see a bacta shortage across the galaxy." Wait, what.

"Have the pirates made any demands?" Jinn is concerned, quite rightly, but holy shit this is the Stark Hyperspace War!

"None as of yet but the Senate is determined to see an end to hostilities, since the Judicial forces have failed, we are being sent as mediators over the conflict." Master Tavik frowns.

"Are we being ordered out by the Senate now; some Jedi Aces should be enough to help the Senate Judicial forces break up these pirates." Mace frowns.

"Possibly but the Chancellor has asked that we solve this peacefully if we can, Finis Valorum will be acting as the Republic negotiator for the talks alongside Nute Gunray representing the Trade Federation, we will be sending you along with a few other Jedi as bodyguards and representatives of the Order." Holy Shit, I'm going to be taking place in the Stark Hyperspace War. So many possibilities to die.

"Who else will be going with us." Jinn asks and I immediately turn to the person I know is coming along. The Wookiee Jedi Master roars out something unintelligible to me as he stands and speaks in surprisingly good basic

"I will be accompanying you as the leader of the Jedi delegation, as will my former apprentice Plo Koon." If I remember this right, Tholme and Quinlan Vos will be going to Thyferra and come to help us later. I mostly tune out the rest of the briefing, too focused on another more important factor.

Ranulph Tarkin.

The lead militarist of the era, he leads a fleet here and tries to steal the glory for solving the Stark problem, he fails and inevitably dies resulting in Wilhuff Tarkin's rise to prominence.

But what if he doesn't? Sure, he's a glory-seeking humanocentric bigot but he's rich and influential in the Senate, plus I remember faintly him and his men having a 'we're all equal' moment fighting alongside Plo Koon. If the same happens here would he move beyond his humanocentric ways?

Could I use this moment to offer my plan for the militarists? I'm not quite sure but this offers new opportunities I can't afford to pass up, provided I don't die along the way. Which is the real pressing thing here, could I die here? Obviously, I'm not required for any 'canon' events down the line so my chance of dying here is certainly higher than anyone else.

That's….worrying to say the least, I've given thought to my own mortality here but this will be the first time I'll have to face that mortality, I'm not sure how to handle it.

I turn to look at Obi-Wan next to me, he's obviously excited about such an important mission, lucky him he's likely to survive this.

"Transport has already been arranged, you leave tomorrow morning, dismissed." I bow alongside the other Jedi and we exit the Council chambers.

I need to meditate, I need to be calm.


	5. Book one: Part Four

I'm straining with exertion, sweat pouring from my forehead, I can feel the object before me but it's hard, like trying to write with your left hand after writing with your right for your entire life. Eventually it becomes too much and I let my concentration break, breathing heavily. Master Tavik is right beside me, resting a hand on my shoulder reassuringly.

"It's difficult at first, the power coming from generators and other devices is different from sensing the Force. The difference between artificial and organic may seem small in theory but in practice is not as easy." I nod slowly, frowning and trying to concentrate. The hyperdrive in front of me thrums quietly as it works and I get a sense of something there but it's hard to focus on it. My senses gravitate towards Master Tavik and the others, or onto me, anything organic.

It goes against the instincts trained into me by the Temple during my youngling years, I'm so used to sensing the Force itself and how it mixes with biological beings that trying to find an inorganically generated power is against all sense. Still, the skills are incredibly useful going by Master Tavik's description.

I stop practicing for a moment to catch my breath and just think, I've plenty to think about.

Sensing the location of electronics, power generators and their strength, even detecting shields and how strong they are. There are so many practical uses for this, A Sene Seeker attached to every fleet, detecting fluctuations in the shields of enemy ships and where to focus fire would increase the effectiveness of a navy tremendously. I'd just need to find a way to make it possible, if it even is possible.

In fact, add that to the list of suggestions for Ranulph, cooperate with Sene Seekers if possible. That's an unlikely scenario as the Seekers don't really leave Alpheridies except in specific circumstances but who knows maybe he can pull it off.

The other members of our mission have been busy with their own work, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan spend their time meditating, Senator Valorum and Adi Gallia seem fond of chatting about philosophy, from topics of skepticism to the ideas of justice and simple aesthetics, I'd have liked to join in but learning from Master Tavik takes priority

Tyvokka and Plo Koon have been going over the mission details, discussing strategy, talking points and offers they could make, all of it pointless so I don't pay much attention. Nute Gunray is thankfully coming in his own ship so I don't have to deal with him, not sure how I would anyways. The man is the definition of a fool who somehow lucks his way into positions of authority.

Our destination is a place called Troiken, small outer rim world only notable for its major spice exports, a relatively lawless place like most worlds in the outer rim and the perfect place for pirates and smugglers. I expected my first few years as a padawan to be light assignments, isn't this endangerment of a minor? Though to be fair most minors don't have mystical powers and a weapon that can repel blasters.

Still the media firestorm this would have caused back home would be amazing to watch from a distance. A thought crosses my mind, I turn to Master Tavik.

"Master Tavik, back in the Council chamber, you said something about the Order and the Senate, what did you mean by that?" He frowns, though he's not upset at me from what I can see, and sits down cross-legged.

"That's a complicated issue padawan; the Jedi are nominally under the supervision of the Judicial Department but we are not necessarily beholden to them. We work with them on interstellar matters when needed but otherwise we go where we're needed."

"But we're not outside the law, we obviously follow and enforce the laws of the Senate." Are we vigilantes, awesome. We're like magic Batman.

"Yes and no, the Jedi follow the Force and certainly enforce the laws of the Republic, we work with the Office of Criminal Investigations when needed but the Jedi are allowed leeway in the fulfillment of our mandate. I have no issue aiding the Republic in the Stark Crisis but the Senate does not 'order' us to get involved."

"So, you're afraid the Jedi are becoming another tool of the Senate to enforce legislation and policy?" Huh, he sounds like Dooku, before Sidious twisted him. Master Tavik nods slowly, clearly unhappy with the thought.

"I suppose so, the Senate isn't perfect and neither are the Jedi, but we have the benefit of the Force guiding us to the right decision, they do not. If they came to a decision that was unjust or went against the Light Side and insisted the Jedi enforce it, what then? It's better if the Jedi decide themselves what conflicts to get involved in and how." I'm not sure what side to take here, on the one hand Jedi should be held accountable for their actions but on the other hand, putting us under the command of a Senate with unpredictable motivations and desires seems flawed.

"Regardless, these negotiations are important to the safety of not just the Republic but the galaxy itself." No pressure at all.

"Why couldn't our first mission be diplomatic dispute on some mid rim world or something easier than negotiations for the fate of the Galaxy?" Because it was just my luck really, why did the Council want us on this mission? His soft chuckling is not helpful, I hate when he treats me like a child, I hate even more that I can't just tell him I'm an adult in a child's body.

"The Force works in mysterious ways padawan, we'll be fine. Hopefully our next mission will be less hectic." Somehow, I doubt that, but I'll take the reassurance, I'd hate to press my luck.

"I'd like that, in the meantime, I'm going to stretch my legs for a bit Master." I stand and he does likewise.

"Very well padawan, we're almost at Troiken, so we'll continue this training once the mission's over." I bow respectfully and take my leave; our ship isn't as small as the ship we took to Ilum but finding Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon isn't that hard. They're both in the crew quarters meditating, Obi-Wan takes note of my presence first and smiles, taking a moment to wave.

"Hello Viera, is your training done?"

"No, Master Tavik decided to take a break , and I figured I'd come check on you, see what you were doing." He scoots over to make room for me and I take the open spot next to him.

"Master Qui-Gon is having me meditate on the Living Force by sensing everyone on the ship right now." Well, that would be the only way to practice it here.

"So, you knew I was coming and didn't call out then." I poke him, gently, and look at Qui-Gon who is sitting in the corner of the room. Obi-Wan seems to misinterpret my statement.

"I-I, that is, I just." Aww did I embarrass him, adorable, the accent makes it even better.

"No, he was distracted, I had hoped meditating would help him overcome his anxiety for the mission." Obi-Wan flushes in embarrassment and I pointedly don't laugh at how adorable he is about it. Also, Qui-Gon has the Liam Neeson voice and I find myself wanting him to talk more, I could listen to that voice all day.

"You are welcome to join us Padawan Sarat, it might do Obi-Wan some good to have a friend to meditate with before the mission." I nod my acceptance this is the perfect time to ask him a question.

"Master Jinn, may I ask a question, if you don't mind that is."

"I don't know, Padawan Sarat, can you" he smiles and I sigh at the lack of definite answer. Oh well, might as well ask anyways.

"Master Jinn, have you ever studied with other Force using groups?" He pauses for a moment and even Obi-Wan looks at him quietly.

"Yes, I once had the pleasure of briefly studying with some followers of the Guardians of Breath. It was just a few years into my knighthood, I'd just graduated and wanted to spend time following the Force before taking a padawan. I met him on Dantooine, he was aiding the farmers with their crops." He pauses, trying to remember and both Obi-Wan and I are silent as we listen, not wanting to interrupt.

"I'd never met a Force user who wasn't a Jedi before but I knew it was possible, we ended up talking about the Living Force. The Guardians of Breath have developed an advanced version of the Consitor Sato used by the Agricorps as well as exceptional healing arts."

"Because of their connection to the Living Force?" I ask, Qui-Gon smiles and nods.

"Yes, much of what I know of the Living Force I learned from that man, the Council focuses too much on the Unifying Force, upon prophecy, destiny and looking forward. I prefer to follow the Living force and focus on the moment." Obi-Wan listens dutifully though he looks a bit uncomfortable at Qui-Gon's veiled chastisement of the Council. It sounds wise certainly but ironically it's Qui-Gon who insists upon Anakin being the Chosen One, a Unifying Force theory.

The sad thing is, Qui-Gon's right, the Council's focus on looking forward did end up blinding them to the threats and problems of the present. It was all you ever heard in the prequels, the future's clouded, or unknowable, or uncertain, take your pick. The problem is, aside from a freak accident killing 90% of the Council and letting Mavericks and other adherents of the Living Force fill the new seats, I don't see an easy way to convince them otherwise.

"Why the interest in such groups, I assume Master Tavik's lessons on the Luka Sene have to do with it?" I blink and focus back on Qui-Gon, seems I got a little distracted there.

"Yes, well that and I had done some reading on the Matukai Order and hoped to one day learn from them as well, I think that their abilities would be useful to the Order." Obi-Wan frowns, apparently trying to remember if he knows who the Matukai are.

"Ah yes, I remember hearing a story about them from my own master Dooku, he and Thames Cerulian, his Jedi Master, encountered a Matukai once." Really? Tertiary source it might be but I'll take the free information.

"There was a dispute in one of the smaller settlements on Ukio, two neighboring towns, miles from Sashasa had accused the other of sabotage and murder. Dooku and Thame were sent to mediate the conflict and discovered the presence of a gang of pirates hiding out in the nearby hills. Figuring it was likely the pirates raiding for food and supplies, Dooku and Thames went to arrest them and bring them to the ROCI."

"What's this got to do with Matukai, Master Jinn?" Obi-Wan, don't interrupt, he's getting there! Qui-Gon laughs softly and shakes his head.

"I'm getting there padawan, well as it turns out someone else was after the pirates, the Matukai in question. He was a young Pantoran man by the name of Del Kimer. There was a bit of a misunderstanding during their first meeting which resulted in a short fight." He trails off, clearly remembering Dooku telling him this tale and I get the impression it wasn't a flattering one.

"Dooku never got too detailed about it but did admit that he and Thame lost to Kimer, he was supposedly lightning fast and strong enough to shame even a Wookiee." Not to mention their ability to turn even a small connection to the Force into something powerful.

What would happen if a Matukai went to Alpheridies and taught the Miraluka there? Would it be possible to eventually have thousands of Miraluka with a strong connection to the Force? Give it a few centuries and a strong connection to the Force could be the norm for Miraluka.

"So, if these Matukai are so strong, why don't we work with them more?

"Well, Master Bodo Baas attempted to forge an alliance with the Matukai and Zeison Sha orders centuries ago but they decided against joining the Order." Yeah, something about autonomy and not caring for the Jedi ways, personally given the whole 'assimilate other force groups' I'm not surprised it failed, but no one wanted to learn from them?

Whatever, something to work at later, Obi-Wan isn't convinced it seems.

"What made them so special that the Order wanted to ally with them?" I can answer that!

"They use the Force to augment their bodies so much that they're immune to poison and disease, can adapt to any temperature, resist physical damage as well as augment their own speed and strength. They're some of the best martial artists in the galaxy and can strengthen their connection to the Force." That last bit alone makes studying their techniques worth it.

"So their training can make your connection to the Force stronger, wouldn't that be useful for the Jedi then? All those initiates who were denied Jedi training for having a weak connection to the Force could strengthen themselves with it." Another fair point and one Qui-Gon considers briefly.

"All true, after Master Baas failed to convince them to ally with the Order he suggested to the Council that the Matukai be left alone and I suppose no one has ever thought to do otherwise." Typical, well I'm sure it won't be that hard to go myself. Master Tavik trained with the Luka Sene so its obviously possible to spend time with other Force traditions.

"Well that's foolish, if we instructed initiates in Matukai techniques during their training then we wouldn't have to send so many to the Service Corps."

"Perhaps but that could cause problems if we ever get to the point where there aren't enough free Jedi to take those padawans." Oh indeed, the rules against multiple padawans per Jedi might have to be abolished for practicality's sake.

What a shame.

I shrug and he laughs, though whether he's laughing at my disregard for tradition or seemingly childish disregard for consequences is unclear, honestly knowing him it could be either. Before we can continue that line of thought the intercom comes to life.

"We've arrived at Troiken, everyone prepare for landing!" Qui-Gon stands and Obi-Wan and I quickly follow suit. We meet with Master Tavik on the way to the cockpit and once inside it's easy to see the planet coming into view ahead of us.

The Combine fleet is ahead of us orbiting Troiken, I can see the Raptor as well as numerous smaller ships, mostly patrol boats and modified freighters but here and there various starfighters and I think I see a CR-90 corvette. To an established military these guys would be a joke but with the armament limitations on the Judicial Forces I can see how they'd be considered a threat.

"Master Jedi, the pirates are hailing us, I've got coordinates for the location of the conference." Master Tyvokka roars and growls before the machine on his belt translates.

Bring us down quickly, no need to spook them, these negotiations must succeed. Valorum nods his agreement.

"Indeed, the security of the Republic is at stake, our negotiations will not fail." Quiet agreement from the others and I look up at Master Tavik as he places a hand reassuringly on my shoulder.

"We'll be fine padawan, trust in the Force and your training." He whispers and I nod graciously, I needed that I think. I'll be fine, this won't be my end and dare I say it, I'll do my best to make things turn out better than they're supposed to.

Still, that little knot of anxiety hasn't gone yet, it's final presentation day and I'm not sure I did my best to prepare. Only this time failure means death or severe injury for myself and/or others.

I barely notice when the ship lands outside of a small compound on Troiken's surface, I can see Gunray's ship on another landing pad and force myself to some measure of calm, hand resting lightly on my lightsaber.

A squad of pirates is waiting for us at the bottom of the ramp, human and alien alike, they're armed with a type of blaster rifle I don't recognize and blaster pistols on their hips. They're trying to look tough but I can see apprehension on their faces. Unsurprising, I'd be scared standing before seven Jedi with just one measly squad to support me.

I wonder if they know about the plan to backstab us, I can't sense any duplicity from any of them but that doesn't mean anything, my senses aren't nearly up to par with someone like Master Tyvokka or Master Tavik. Valorum strides forward confidently, every bit the diplomat, I can see how he managed to become Supreme Chancellor, he carries an obvious dignity and grace that lets him stand out even amongst numerous Jedi.

I don't bother memorizing the compound interior, we won't be here long and I've got other things to think about. Once the meeting starts Gunray will send Tarkin the coordinates for his fleet, simultaneously dooming them, Stark will reveal he knows about the fleet and the trap he's laid. The pirates attack and Gunray panics, his droids attack the Jedi and pirates, mortally wounding Master Tyvokka. After that it's straight to Mt. Avos and the siege there.

I need to protect Master Tyvokka, that said the only way I can think to do that is position myself between him and Gunray's droids. If I'm lucky I can block enough shots for him to respond and defend himself from the droids. With Tyvokka alive I can't say what the long-term effects will be but for the short-term another Jedi Master can only help our chances.

All too soon we arrive at the meeting room and I take a deep breath as we step inside. Time to get to work.


	6. Book one: Part Five

The meeting room is rather large, about half the size of the temple hanger. I'm beginning to think this facility was 'appropriated' for this conference instead of designed for it. It also has several doors on each wall that could be hiding any number of pirates or other surprises. A table sits in the middle of the room, though I note it's not long enough to hold all of us.

Pricks.

Other than that, Nute Gunray is here with his battle droid escort, unfortunately these aren't the stupid B-1 battle droids. I could deal with them myself with no issue if they were, no these are the advanced hunter-killer droids. Has he already sent the coordinates to Tarkin? I've no way of knowing until it happens.

Iaco Stark is waiting for us at the table alongside the other co-directors of the Combine, flanked by a pair of guards. He's wearing some cliché try-hard pirate outfit with a high collar, too long sideburns and a little tuft of hair right under his lip. With the smirk on his face he looks like the definition of stupid. I'd say he was overconfident with only the pair of guards and squad with us but I'm sure there are more squads outside the room ready to swarm in at a moment's notice.

I can sense the tension in the air, the foreboding sense of something about to happen. It's like that sick feeling in your gut when you feel something's about to go wrong but all around. I feel like the very air itself is pressing down on me. A quick glance around tells me that the other Jedi sense it too, Master Tavik is tense and Obi-Wan seems to be glancing at the surrounding pirates cautiously.

"Senator Valorum, Representative Gunray, Master Jedi, welcome to Troiken." Stark says with false sincerity. He's not happy to be negotiating with us, for obvious reasons, this doesn't look good to his co-directors. Valorum seems to realize it too but he doesn't let it bother him as he approaches the table.

"Thank you, Director Stark, I am eager to begin the negotiations to end this regrettable conflict for both of our benefit." Stark's smile is disarming and casual but I know better, as the representatives position themselves around the table I make sure to stand behind Tyvokka. Valorum takes a seat and for a moment there is silence.

My hand reaches down for my lightsaber, Obi-Wan does likewise but no one draws just yet, though we all know what's about to happen. Only Valorum and Gunray seem oblivious

Eventually it is Tyvokka who breaks the silence, my body tenses, knowing what's about to happen.

Director Stark, shall we skip the negotiations then and get to your intended solution? Even as he finishes, Stark and his co-directors have drawn their blasters, pointing them at us, likewise the pirate guards have drawn theirs. The doors open and a dozen other pirates filter into the room, weapons drawn.

"What is the meaning of this Director Stark! These are meant to be peaceful negotiations." Valorum is shocked and a little afraid but he manages to suppress it surprisingly well, Stark gestures to Gunray with his pistol and the man flinches.

"Gunray here just transmitted the coordinates to your strikeforce, yes I have spies on Coruscant, I know about the attack force Senator Tarkin is bringing here!" His smile is vicious and smug now.

"Ah, but I still have the upper hand, I had my men add a virus on Gunray's signal, Tarkin's fleet will be scattered and broken up before they get here." I glance around and see that Master Tavik and the others all have their hands on their lightsabers but no one's drawn yet. We're all waiting for the right moment.

"We did no such thing! The Senate did not sanction this strike, please Director Stark, there's still time to negotiate peacefully." The pirates begin to spread out to surround us even as Stark refuses.

"After I capture you, I'll be able to negotiate with the Senate from a position of strength, now lay down your arms before my men- "He's cut off by a roar as Master Tyvokka literally flips the table and sends it barreling into the pirates.

And like a flipped switch, everyone draws their lightsabers, the Force guides my hand as I twist to deflect the incoming blaster bolts. And like that it's on, Stark and the other directors retreat towards the door as even more pirate's stream in.

"Padawan! Get behind me." Master Tavik is in front of me now, lightsaber flashing in fast, fluid motions as he bats blaster bolts back at the pirates. He's not getting them all but it's more manageable now as I join him, deflecting shots as best as I can.

Tyvokka has leapt into the fray, his lightsaber swinging with a fluid grace belying his species and size, instantly he becomes the center of attention, takin the attention of every pirate in the room

Adrenaline pumping, the Force and training guiding my hands to deflect blasters, my arms feel light as a feather, I'm moving faster than I thought possible and the knot of anxiety in my chest is gone, replaced by the sensation. Master Tavik is with me, a comforting presence, a wave of his hand and one of the chairs rises up and flings itself into one of the pirates. He takes the hit and tumbles

Gunray has backed away in his mechno-chair, his droids aren't firing yet but they are on alert. I see Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon fighting their way in his direction. Technically he does still need to be protected from the pirates. As much as I'd enjoy him out of the picture, I'd hate for someone more competent to replace him.

"Viceroy, we could use your droids!" I hear Qui-Gon call out and I immediately turn towards Tyvokka, fighting my way towards him, Master Tavik is right behind me. I can almost feel Gunray's fear and panic as he shouts for his droids to attack.

The droids, being droids, immediately obey but without specification they automatically focus on Master Tyvokka, the closest and arguably biggest threat. They open fire at Tyvokka's exposed back.

I'm already there and deflecting, Master Tavik is behind me shortly after. The droids don't miss a beat and switch fire to the two of us, behind us Tyvokka notices the droids and leaps in front of us. Tyvokka roars and a wave of Force energy sends the droids flying into the wall hard enough to break them instantly. Alright, Tyvokka is saved, now what. There are still pirates all over the place, but against seven Jedi working together it isn't much of a contest.

Already Stark and his co-directors have fled and the pirates left are starting to waver, a number of them are already wounded or dead and none of us are so much as injured. One pirate just throws down his blaster and runs, and like that the floodgates are opened and they all begin to flee.

I lower my lightsaber into a resting position but do not deactivate it yet, no telling where the next threat may come from. I look up at Master Tavik and he nods slowly, a small smile on his face, aura bright and steady.

"Good work, Padawan." I can't help but smile at the praise, yay I did good. I also prevented Tyvokka from being killed as normal so yay! Tyvokka steps towards us, the other Jedi behind him as he regards us.

Good reflexes padawan, we need to leave before they regroup and come back. Valorum is holding it together remarkably well, his aura is disturbed and tinged with fear but the man holds it together well.

"Where though, Master Tyvokka, the Stark fleet in orbit will shoot us down before we could escape and Senator Tarkin's fleet is being destroyed as we speak." Plo Koon steps forward.

"I did some research on this planet before we arrived, there is an abandoned mine at Mt. Avos. It's not too far from here and we could hole up there till we find a solution." I don't know what's going on in orbit right now, presumably bad things but we really ought to leave now, Tyvokka agrees.

Very well, we should hurry then, protect Senator Valorum and representative Gunray. Protect Gunray, sure I'll get right on that shit. A resounding boom shakes the facility and we all decide to get moving, an orbital bombardment would kill all us in short order.

Tyvokka and Plo Koon take the lead, Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon and Adi Gallia in the middle, leaving me and Master Tavik to play rearguard. The Force warns me before I hear it and my lightsaber flashes, deflecting the shot from behind us. It seems like the pirates have already regained their morale and are on the attack. I can't tell how many are behind us but they are determined.

Master Tavik and I both spin around, deflecting shots and retreating backwards towards the landing pad. A quiet word I can't hear and Adi Gallia is now beside me, helping to deflect the incoming shots.

A gust of air blows down the corridor behind me as the doors open, I can hear the screaming of sublight engines coming from outside and I can only imagine a few fighters have come down to harass us. Our ship seems to still be intact, no such luck for Gunray's but for how long I don't know.

Valorum and Gunray are already rushing up the ramp while Tyvokka and the other Jedi turn to form a barrier, we turn and break into a sprint towards the ramp. As soon as the two of us go up the ramp, I can feel Qui-Gon and Obi-wan following.

Adi Gallia and Plo Koon are next, then Tyvokka last as the ramp rises up, the engines are already hot and we're taking off. The ship shakes and I have to lean on the wall to not stumble, seems like the fighters have taken notice of us. I manage to make it to the cockpit where things are no less tense. I can hear the comm crackle to life.

"Senator Tarkin, are you there? Come in Senator Tarkin! This is Jedi Master Plo Koon, please answer!" Plo Koon seems to be trying to hail Tarkin, though is he even here yet, or has he yet to arrive.

The comm is silent for a moment before our message reaches…whoever he sent it to, I can hear the sounds of multiple people talking quickly, mild panic before someone answers. The voice is curt, formal, and undeniably angry.

"This is the Invincible we read you, speak quickly." The irony is that he named a Consular-class cruiser 'Invincible', literally one of the worst ships ever, even for the Judicial Forces. Plo Koon does not find it as funny as I do, how sad.

"Iaco Stark uploaded a virus onto your navicomputers, the rest of your fleet is scattered, we're retreating to Mt. Avos, you need to abandon ship and join us there." Tarkin's end is silent and I can imagine the man fuming.

"You expect me to just give up!" Yep, he's not happy, can't really blame him. This was supposed to be his big moment and he gets screwed over hard. That said he's not stupid, he has to see that his position is untenable.

"Senator Tarkin, you don't have the firepower to fight off the Combine fleet, please for your soldiers, give the order. We can regroup at Mt. Avos." Silence on the comms before a sigh.

"Fine, I'll give the order, we'll be coming in hot, be ready." The comm cuts out and we're left on our own. Tyvokka rumbles quietly in Shyrieewook.

He is quite the querulous man, how far is it to Mt. Avos? The ship rocks as the fighters pursuing us open fire again. How durable is this ship, I feel like it's not going to last?

"It'd be going faster if these fighters weren't harassing us." Adi Gallia is making a valiant effort piloting this ship but you can only do so much with our transport.

"I believe, I have a method to deal with them, if you would be so kind as to assist me, Master Tyvokka." Plo Koon and Tyvokka both fall silent, and it's odd but I can see the way the Force surges within them, their aura seems to glow more radiantly, pulsing rhythmically as they stretch out to the pilots attacking us. So that's what a mind-trick looks like, huh, first time I've seen it.

In any case, it seems to have worked, they're not firing at us anymore. I hear Obi-Wan breath out behind me in relief and offer him a brief thumbs up he's holding it together much better than I would if I'd not known we'd succeed. Adi Gallia goes back to piloting and it seems like we'll have a few minutes of peace before we arrive at Mt. Avos.

Alright so Tarkin's troops are going to be abandoning ship and heading to Mt. Avos, we're likewise enroute and now we get to the arguably boring portion of this war, the siege. Our transport shakes again, and the fact that there isn't anything shooting at us tells me that our ship is almost at its end. The frown on Adi Gallia's face says something similar, though probably cruder.

"We're almost there, she's not going to hold together much longer but I can get us there, everyone get ready." Master Tavik places a hand on my shoulder and I give him my full attention, the distraction is welcome I guess.

"When we land, head for the mine as soon as you can and get to cover. I'll be right behind you." Alright, happy to do that, not sure what else I might consider doing.

"Look, over there!" I look towards where Obi-Wan is pointing, our destination is ahead of us but a cloud of dust has been shaken up around the area, as I look an impact hits the ground nearby and throws up more dust. I can vaguely see movement, looks like Tarkin's men are already arriving.

Tarkin's troops are landing, bring us down next to them, we'll proceed into the mines together. Adi Gallia turns the ships towards the impromptu landing area and sets down. Master Tavik puts his hand on my shoulder and firmly leads me towards the ramp, Qui-Gon and the others right behind us.

At least two dozen pods have landed around us and our unflyable ship, man that is damaged. I can see troops filing out and proceeding to the mine and two men just walking briskly, so that's Ranulph Tarkin which means the other one must be Jace Dallin, the more useful of the two. Man, his aura in the Force is bright with anger, frustration and a simmering bit of despair.

Beneath that though I can see that same forge of determination that led him to create his own private military force and make Seswenna one of the safest and most productive sectors in the Outer Rim. That's what I need though, Aks Moe has the intrigue to work through Senate bluster and Palpatine's machinations but he lacks the will. He's in it for the political prestige, so's Tarkin but at least Tarkin genuinely wants a strong military for the sake of safety and security for the Republic from pirates and slavers. He's rough and uneven but with a bit of work, maybe his flaws can be smoothed out or worked around to something profitable.

We're all sort of just jogging for the safety of the mines, dragging supplies with us, mostly little bits of food and medical supplies, no time for anything else really. I hear the sound of ship engines, there are transports landing in the distance, bringing the pirates assault force probably. The mine itself is located at the crest of a pretty significant hill, plenty of rock formations at the top for cover, all in all a good defensible position I think.

As we stagger into the mine I can't help but notice the odd looks we're getting, me and Master Tavik less so compared to Master Koon and Master Tyvokka. Ah yes, the humanocentrism of Tarkin and his men. Granted, it'll be mostly gone by the end of this crisis but it's still uncomfortable.

"Now what, damn you Valorum, you've brought us here just to make these mines our tomb?" Tarkin is not happy about anything really, not surprising that he lost his fleet. Valorum is all too willing to fire back.

"And typical of your zealous militarism you've cost countless lives here, if you hadn't decided to barge in Stark would have been willing to negotiate!" That is a fair point but it's doubtful whether or not Stark would actually agree to any terms brought.

I tune the rest of their argument out and focus on steadying myself. They know we're here, and it's a matter of when they decide to attack. Any moment certainly, if I remember right. Whatever, I'll just meditate a bit until the fight starts, I focus on the Force and then- a hand on my shoulder, shaking firmly, blasterfire? Where?

I stand up suddenly, how long, Master Tavik is with me, he seems grim and focused.

"Padawan, outside we're under assault." And with that he's already on the way out, lightsaber activated. I activate mine and follow him outside, blasterfire is immediately all around me, troops firing from covered position, pirate and Republic aligned.

Alright, hold up, what are we dealing with here? I can see the pirates position just past the base of the hill, they've got a staggered formation, they're using the lifepods for cover alongside a couple armed and armored landspeeders. The speeders each have a laser cannon on the back that they're firing. Master Tavik and the other Jedi seem plenty busy deflecting fire and keeping the pirates suppressed, those landspeeders are also out of range of any grenades we might have. Well, I can fix that, maybe.

I look around at the assembled troopers, one of them has to have a grenade, right?

"Anyone have a grenade? Quickly, I need one." No one moves, predictably they're still busy firing at the pirates. Okay, quick look around, the gentlemen to my right has a thermal detonator on him. I turn just enough to make sure he knows I'm talking to him.

"Trooper, I need your thermal detonator to take out those landspeeders." He scowls up at me, unhappy at what, that I interrupted him or that I'm asking for his grenade.

"None of us can toss a grenade that far and you think you can?" Alright, asshole.

"None of you have the Force, I do. I can make it go farther than any of you can throw. Besides, you have a better use for it right now? None of the pirates are in range yet." He scowls at me some more before giving in with a grunt and reaching for his detonator. He hands it to me quickly and goes back to shooting.

Alright, the idea behind this is simple, throw the grenade, catch it with the Force, increase the distance and guide it to the landspeeder. I've done all of those things separately before, combining them shouldn't be that hard. The arming button is obvious enough and I press it, giving the detonator my best toss.

"Fire in the hole!" Now as I reach out with the Force, sensing the detonator isn't hard. It's sailing through the air, in the Force a miniature sun just ready to burst. I grasp it with the Force and it's as if I was throwing it again, the detonator picks up speed and sails towards the speeder, the Force guiding it's descent.

A moment of silence and then the landspeeder's laser cannon, along with the entire back goes up in a brilliant explosion. It also seems to have taken out a couple pirates who were taking cover behind it. Should I feel bad about killing these people, I mean they were trying to kill me but still Jedi are supposed to avoid killing when possible.

Whatever, I'll moralize later, when the crisis is over and I can think more clearly about what I've been doing. I hold out my hand again, the trooper staring wide eyed at the distant explosion.

"Got anymore?" He looks at me for a moment before turning to a few of his compatriots.

"Curran, Malric, Ferriman! Toss me your thermal detonators." A few moments later I have a half dozen more thermal detonators in hand. Hurray for High Explosives!

The landspeeders are a bit ahead of me and start up, moving to avoid providing a steady target while still providing fire. Okay, ruin my plan then, I'll just aim for different targets. I look for the biggest clump of pirates and lob the first detonator. The explosion is bright, and the bodies sent flying give their friends something to think about before they group up.

And like before at the conference, the pirates aren't a very disciplined force, they're not winning a crushing victory so they're feeling less and less confident about this whole battle. I can already see a few running away and it's not long before more and more notice they're fleeing friends and decide living is preferable to dying. Eventually it's just a rout as they fall back to a point outside our range. And in a moment, it's over, I can hear the troops cheering but all I feel is a general sense of excitement and relief. I didn't die yet!

Now what, I look around, the troopers are celebrating or being pushed into defensive action by their sergeants, some are carrying the wounded into the mines with Plo Koon helping out, good for him. Master Tavik is approaching me, and he seems pleased with the outcome.

"Padawan, good work, you handled that well." I bow lightly, the praise is admittedly pleasing.

"Thank you, Master, I'll continue doing my best but next time, a mission to Alderaan would be nice." I can see Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon talking as well. Master Tavik turns to look back out at the pirates who seem to have formed a siege line farther out. He smiles at the joke.

"I'll look into it but we're not done here yet, you should go inside the mine and get some rest. They'll come back in force soon enough." Alright sure, rest sounds good, and if I spot Tarkin inside then even better. Inside Plo Koon is tending to the wounded, there're only a few wounded but with our small force even a few wounded is dangerous. I'll assume I'm not needed there unless specified otherwise, not much I could do anyways.

Valorum and Gunray are off to one side discussing something I can't hear, nor do I really care to. Tyvokka and Plo Koon are by the wounded, Adi Gallia is meditating and if I reach out, Tarkin and Jace Dallin both seem to have gone down one of the numerous side tunnels adjoining the main chamber. I'd say that's dangerous, going off alone, but Tarkin probably wants to vent and Jace went to be vented at.

Alright, here goes nothing, I start walking down the tunnel after them. The plan I have isn't the greatest, it's no master plan to save the Republic but it's the best I can think of given the situation. There simply isn't an established support infrastructure for a full military so nothing too fancy but with luck it will help get things started, lay the groundwork. It's not a long walk and I hear Tarkin before I see him.

"Damn them, Valorum and Tyvokka both, they've usurped my command for this fool's venture! We don't have the supplies to outlast them, a surrender would allow us to escape with minimal loss of life."

"Sir, we'd be hostages and there's no reason they wouldn't just butcher us for the trouble we've caused. That's Jace Dallin, a good man.

"If they butcher us then they'll have no bargaining power with the Senate, their navigational trick won't work forever, they need us to negotiate a profitable settlement."

"Sir, the men, they won't take it well, being told to surrender without a fight." Whatever Tarkin was about to reply is cut off as I step into the light of their lantern.

"What do you want, did your Master send you for me?" He's cautious, and defensive. Jace is much more restrained but he's wary as well, also loyalty to Tarkin, which is honestly a bit surprising.

"No sir, Senator Tarkin. I came on my own initiative, I really just wanted to see the founder of the Outland Regional Security Force myself." And oh, there goes his aura spiking, he's probably expecting a rebuke of some sort.

"And? You've seen me, seen it destroyed, are you here to gloat then, spout some platitude about peace and diplomacy to me? I don't need your scorn, go and run back to your Master." I can't really do that, he'll just wallow in self-pity and kill himself later.

"I apologize for the interruption Senator, I just wanted to say though that I approve of what you're doing, the Republic does need a strong military." That throws him off, both of them really, they didn't expect that. Tarkin doesn't reply, and for a moment I wonder if he will, continue then.

"But the problem is, I don't know why you're trying to convince the Senate to rescind that portion of the Ruusan Reformations." I sit down and lean against the cave wall, he's still wary and distrustful it seems.

"Because as useless as they are, I need them to approve creation of a military, despite what some may claim I am a loyalist and will follow the Republic's laws."

"Well yes true, but what I meant is, they'll never approve of a military creation act because you won a single victory. Instead of working from the top down, you'd be better off going from the system level up. You've already done it with this force of yours, why haven't you just banded together with more systems to increase the strength of this alliance?" He frowns but doesn't necessarily dismiss the question, he's still distrustful but he's at least listening to what I'm saying.

"Too many Outer Rim worlds who would be interested can't afford a defense force bigger than a consular and some used A-9's and the ones that can are either under corporate control or unwilling to risk joining me, Eriadu is rich and with my financial connections it's easier to support a larger fleet."

"Not much of a fleet if you ask me, the Consular's firepower isn't much to look at, nor the CR-90's of CEC. Rendili would be a much better place to go to." It's Jace that replies here, isn't he from Rendili?

"The Rendili dreadnaught has too high a crew requirement and for all the press it's gotten, it has far too many technical problems to be effective. Consular's are armed and only require a small crew."

"And how effective were they in orbit against Stark's flotilla? No, I'm not talking about the Dreadnaught, Rendili Stardrive still holds the design patent for the Hammerhead and Valor cruisers, don't they? From what I understand they don't require much in the ways of crew?" Now they're both frowning, they are old designs I'm not surprised they don't remember them immediately. Rendili Stardrive acquired the various patents from Rendili Hyperworks when the latter went out of business sometime after the New Sith Wars.

"Those're old designs, they wouldn't stand up to the ships of today, they've been out of production for nearly a thousand years." Tarkin remembered first, good for him then, but thankfully recent events have made that less of an issue.

"True, but after the Katana Fleet fiasco, Rendili's stock plummeted, wasn't their fault really. Hive Viruses are nasty, but that's how the market works. That's also adding to their inability to compete with KDY and CEC. The state they're in financially if you asked them to modernize those old designs they'd probably do so gladly. You could get the old Aurek fighters modernized too while you're at it." And now they're both thinking about it, and the potential implications so I press on.

"If you're going to get the Republic military reformed then what better way than bringing back the designs of the old Republic Navy? I mean even with the restrictions on firepower they could easily be respectable ships, and the starfighter compliments they carry would only make them more powerful. Landor system is still overrun with pirates last, I heard. You could get a journalist to document your efforts and go force them out. The press you'll get from that will put your cause in a better light and earn you support from local planetary governments. Keep doing that until you have enough popular support, then Senators will be much more willing to vote for you out of political gain if nothing else." Tarkin looks at me, then at Jace before eventually just shaking his head.

"And where do you expect me to get the men for that? Even with the lower crew requirements I still wouldn't be able to crew many of those ships, and that's not even getting into the pilots I'd need for the starfighters, ground troops, support personnel and more." I've also thought about that.

"Oh, all over really, there are plenty of outer rim and mid rim worlds with people who could be convinced to join up with a proper recruitment campaign. But to be more specific, Iridonia, Shili, and Ryloth are all good places to start." He frowns, trying to place the worlds but Jace figures it out first.

"The Twi'leks, Togruta, and Zabrak?" Tarkin scowls so hard I'm mildly afraid for his face.

"You expect me to trust aliens to defend the Republic?" Well, expected I guess but I had thought offering up three near-human species would be more palatable for him, humanocentrism is inconsistent.

"Well, I expect you to trust Republic citizens to defend the Republic. To be more specific it's a matter of opportunity. The Zabraks have a long martial history and serving in this little paramilitary excursion would appeal them. Regarding the Twi'leks, they do have a warrior culture, they're just not in the best place to show it. You could fix that though." Tarkin doesn't answer, he's just staring at the ground now, I can sense the turmoil and anger boiling inside him, Jace however seems at least a little bit intrigued, or maybe he's just talking for Tarkin, I don't know.

"How so, my knowledge of Twi'lek history isn't that good." No surprise there really, a galaxy with thousands of civilizations each with thousands of years of history, hard to memorize it all. I just made an effort to make this sales pitch.

"Well, the Twi'leks have always been popular targets for slavers, the truth is they tend to willingly give their own up into slavery to avoid raids they can't stop. Ryloth has no defense force, every attempt to create one has resulted in murders, pillaging and more on the part of the criminal guilds who control the slave trade on Ryloth. A well trained and disciplined military could break up those cartels." I'd always wondered why the Twi'leks never tried to form a defense force to protect themselves, that was a long and disheartening read. The savagery done in response was horrifying and it's not like the Judicial Forces ever had the influence or strength to protect an Outer Rim world so far from the Core.

"I mean, if they had to choose between you or the slavers, I don't doubt they'd jump into your camp, not to mention the support of Senator Taa." Oh boy, that's not a happy relationship.

"Orn Free Taa is a corpulent sack of corrupt filth who deserves to be ejected from any position of power." He isn't wrong really, Taa is terrible but until someone replaces him he's the go-between.

"Well, fair, but I believe he'll be up for reelection in a year or two, find someone better to replace him, work with them and get him out of office, standard political process." He scoffs but there's less anger behind it? No, the anger is there but it's directed elsewhere.

"It's been tried before, no one has the public presence to battle Taa's hold. Every opposition candidate has been some no-name joke." Jace, seems to get where I'm going though.

"But a politician who supported a successful defense of Ryloth against slaver attack and could run on a campaign of providing true security for the Twi'lek people could." I like to believe my smile is innocent, but I know better.

"I'm no political expert but Taa would be weak against such a candidate, would he not?" Tarkin shakes his head.

"It's a good idea but even I don't have the money to do all of this. If I put effort into it, in a year I could maybe get 12 Hammerhead's and a Valor crewed, the starfighters would be harder to fully crew but I could get some of them. There just isn't enough money to spare in the Tarkin family or Eriadu defense budget to do more."

"Anaxes and Carida would have the money though, same with Lansono and Malastare. A cooperative venture with the other militarists funding it would allow you to do more and if you're lucky, strengthen your hold on militarist leadership." And this is the perfect point to bring out my other card.

"And if I may, one of my fellow padawans is apprenticed to a member of the Jedi Starfighter corps, so I spend a good deal of time with her in the hanger and flight sim rooms. I hear a lot of gossip relating to the Jedi Aces. I've heard that one of the Aces, Master Clee Rhara is drawing up a proposal for a pilot's academy on Centax-2. She plans to present it to the Senate eventually." Tarkin scoffs before thinking it over.

"The Senate would never approve the funding needed to run an academy like that, at least not for long. I assume you want me and the other Militarists to offer funding instead?" I smile, smart man, he gets it.

"Yes, ideally you and your fellow militarists, even the reformist faction, could find some common ground to fund an academy like that. And if a number of pilots graduating from the academy ended up working as starfighter or capital ship pilots in the Outer Rim then well isn't that just a nice coincidence."

"Conveniently solving the need for pilots for expanding the security of the Outer Rim and the prototype for a new Republic Military, the College of Planetary Security Forces on Anaxes for ship crew and the academies on Corulag and Carida for infantry. I see what you're suggesting." He's calmer now, thinking the idea over.

"What I don't understand is why you came up with this idea for me and what you get out of it?" That's fair, he wants to know what my goal is, fair enough.

"My motives are depressingly simple I'm afraid, I do not like the growing tendency to use the Jedi as enforcers of the Senate, working with the Judicial forces to apprehend criminals and help solve local disputes is one thing but the Jedi are not a military force and should not be. I want you to succeed so that we do not have to get involved in the politics of the Senate. No more and no less, Senator." He looks like he doesn't want to believe that it's that simple but it is.

"Think on it please Senator, I have to go back to Master Tavik." I bow and walk back to the main cavern. If he survives this then maybe, maybe things will work out.


	7. Book one: Part Six

Sleep came fitfully as every sound had me awake and listening for an assault on the that and the general anxiety over the situation I didn't get nearly as much rest as I'd have liked. Obi-Wan was much the same and we ended up meditating together to try and compose ourselves. That turned out to be less helpful than I'd hoped but the familiarity of it was comfort enough.

Some of the troopers have proven relatively good company though the awkwardness of being a near-human in a militia whose humanocentric beliefs are swaying between xenophobic then tentatively not. They're trying, most of them, but it's still a bit awkward.

The trooper who provided me with the grenades in the previous battle, one Sergeant Errol Vance, sought me out almost immediately after my chat with Tarkin and he's become the most ardent 'pro-alien' among the group of troopers I've sort of become acquainted with. That isn't saying as much as I'd like but it's a start, right?

Though this has given me the freedom to tell jokes from my old life. Predictably they laughed the loudest at the dirtier jokes. I don't know if they just liked the jokes or appreciated the moment of levity but I don't care, I liked telling jokes back home, not much chance for it now.

The pirates, having failed their first assault have decided to starve us out as the better option. Our food supplies aren't going to last, but on a promising note Tarkin hasn't advocated surrendering yet. He's just been quiet, he hasn't approached me, hasn't really done much of anything.

Master Tavik, Qui-Gon and the other senior Jedi have been busy working with Jace, occasionally Tarkin, and the assembled soldiers to maintain a watch on the siege line and fortify the mines. We've done pretty good I think, though I haven't really been involved in it that much. The real issue now, is letting the Senate know what happened and getting help. Though from what I remember, the Senate said no and a Jedi Strikeforce is what'll save us.

The sound of boots on stone alerts me to Obi-Wan's approach as he sits down beside me, his aura is bright with…. something, excitement, anticipation, anxiety? I'm not quite sure but whatever it is its raised his spirits somewhat.

"Viera, I just heard from Master Qui-Gon, someone discovered an exit from the mine down one of the side tunnels." It'd probably only be able to handle a small group of people at a time but say a small team could escape from it.

I think I know what's he going to say but I'll pretend I don't for the sake of letting him have his peace.

"Are we retreating then? I was under the assumption that Mt. Avos was the most convenient place for us to bunker down?" He shakes his head, pointing over to where Qui-Gon is talking with Valorum, Gunray, and Tyvokka.

"Master Jinn, Master Gallia and I are going to take Senator Valorum and Nute Gunray through the tunnel and see if we can find transport for them to escape Troiken and go warn Coruscant." Alright, so here we go, diversionary battle is a go then.

"How do you expect to get past the pirates, their siege line and aerial patrols aren't going to just let you go unmolested."

"That'll be our job, padawan." Master Tavik walks over to us from the other senior Jedi, he's on edge himself, not worried but tense and ready to move at a moment's notice. I turn my head to focus on him and nod in response.

"How so, Master? I assume a diversion?" Obvious answer really and not just because I know it's coming. He nods and points to the gathering of troopers near the mine entrance.

"Indeed, we'll be launching a diversionary attack while Master Jinn, Master Gallia, and Padawan Kenobi escort Senator Valorum, and Minister Gunray out one of the side tunnels." I notice a name missing there.

"Not Senator Tarkin?" I had sorta hoped he'd leave if only to avoid any chance of him dying here but no such luck there. Master Tavik frowns and shakes his head.

"No, he's refused to leave, he and Jace Dallin will assist with the diversionary attack." Okay, can he even shoot? I guess I'll find out shortly. Obi-Wan grins and stands, stretching his arms.

"I can't wait to actually do something and not sit around here waiting for an attack." I listen to his exuberance quietly, he's almost like Jang in that regard though comparably he's more reserved than her, it's going to be disappointing to see him become less open and exuberant in the coming years.

"Be careful Obi-Wan, there's no guarantee this diversionary attack will completely draw them off. Don't get in over your head." He'll be fine but it doesn't hurt to say it. He nods and gives me a thumbs up.

"I'll be fine, same to you Viera, I expect to come back and find you alive and well." I stand quickly and give him a short nod. The others are gravitating toward the mine entrance and I should probably join them.

"I like living, I don't plan on stopping here, see you later Obi-Wan, may the Force be with you." He smiles and nods before rushing over to Qui-Gon and the others.

A flicker, a glimpse of something and I start walking in the direction of the aura, moving through troopers towards my target. Sgt. Vance is with the remnants of his squad, briefing them on the diversion, when I approach. He spots me and waves me over.

A tall man and surprisingly young, short cropped hair and the strangest not-jersey accent I've ever heard. We talked after the first battle and he's apparently from Commenor out near the Core Worlds. The third son of a miner who thought fighting out in the Outer Rim with Tarkin was the best way to start anew. Irony of ironies he ends up getting besieged inside a mine.

"Hey there, padawan, ready to rumble? We're just about ready to get this diversion started." I nod affirmative and can't help but grin back, reminded of why I sought him out personally. We both like high explosives and blowing things to pieces.

"I'm just about ready, do you have any more thermal detonators?" He nods and points towards a small satchel against the wall, I can already see the small balls of high yield explosives.

"I went around and got as many as I could, go wild with them. They'll be useful for this diversion I think." Oh, they will indeed. I grab the satchel, seven thermal detonators inside. Were these all he could find? I hope they're not all that we have.

"Alright everyone, listen up!" I hear Tarkin's voice and immediately turn towards the mine entrance. And there he is the daft man, blaster rifle in hand and an expression made of stone. Jace is beside him, similarly armed and tense.

"This attack is a diversion, that means you don't get too eager and overextend the battle line. We're to draw their attention until Senator Valorum and his escort are safely away. Jace steps forward and takes over.

"Stick with your squads and make for the escape pods, they'll be our best cover from enemy fire. Watch for those landspeeders and any artillery. When you hear their air power it's time to retreat." He turns to point at several troopers in particular.

"Zem, Dahn, Durame, Anjek, Mardin, you're on overwatch, you'll cover our retreat." The five troopers each nod, reaching for their sniper rifles and heading off to take up positions. Tarkin steps forward again and raises his blaster rifle.

"Let's show these pirate sum what we've got, for the Republic!" The cry is taken up and everyone is moving.

"Everybody out, let's go!" Jace yells and I grab the satchel and join the troopers exiting the mine entrance. How is this distraction going to work, their siege line is outside the range of our blasters, wouldn't we have to get closer to them to attack?

I hear someone yell charge and the lightsabers of the other Jedi ignite as they take off down the ridge and towards the siege line. I ignite my own lightsaber and sprint forward. All around me the troopers open fire in the direction of the pirate's siege line. It isn't long before they return fire and my lightsaber flashes before me, deflecting shots, Sgt. Vance and his squad behind me return fire as we run.

Dirt and dust are thrown up around me from the fire of the pirates and-oh shit is that a rocket! A plume of smoke and the ground in front of me explodes outwards and I stumble, barely falling to the ground. Okay where's that cover.

The crashed escape pods are still there though and they're perfect cover for us. Most of us get behind the pods before the landspeeders take hold of our position but as the sharp staccato of laser cannons and behind me four people drop, a moment of pain and surprise, their auras flashing in the Force and winking out of existence. I shiver slightly, that's horrifying, but I have to push past it. There is no death, there is the Force.

I'm just behind the cover enough to avoid the worst of the enemy fire and especially the laser cannons from the landspeeders but still enough to deflect some shots. Sgt. Vance and the others are occasionally ducking out of cover to fire at the pirates before slipping back into cover.

I am just a little envious of them right now.

The landspeeders haven't moved to flank us yet, but I can see through the escape pod we're hiding behind, the pirates are advancing towards our position with the speeders giving cover. There seems to be a little dip in the terrain between us and them, it's not much but it seems to be serving as a mini-trench. There are four speeders firing on us, and I have seven thermal detonators. Alright so same as before, toss the grenades precisely towards the landspeeders.

This time though, I need to move faster before they take off. Pick your target, prime the grenade and toss, accelerate and guide it towards its target and immediately onto the next. At first the only sound is the fire of blasters and then a trio of explosions go off in rapid succession. I can see two landspeeders detonate, pain, terror, and a blinding heat. The third detonator seems to have gone off course slightly, blasting into the front and taking out the repulsorlifts keeping it aloft. It's immobile now but the laser cannon is still functioning it seems. The fourth speeder takes off before the detonator hits. Though it does take out the three pirates around it, a sense of terror and raging heat, three detonators left.

Sgt. Vance ducks out of cover and opens fire on the advancing pirates before he turns back to me, it seems like the squads of pirates are halted at the lip of what seems to be a mini-hill? Whatever it is, its providing half decent cover from our attack.

Master Tavik and the other senior Jedi are spread out across our 'battle line' deflecting shots away and back at the pirate forces but no one's really advancing on the other. With most their landspeeders gone or turned into stationary emplacements they're not nearly as eager to advance as they might have been.

That other landspeeder drove off but I think it's coming back around I think and when it does I have a feeling we're going to want to be back into the safety of the mine.

"Padawan, toss a detonator onto their cover, see if you can smoke them out." Ah, right I can do that, another thermal detonator is primed and tossed. A moment of nothing then an explosion. Some dead, even more injured but they're not giving up just yet. Even they must realize that turning and running will only get them shot.

This is going well, too well, where's the threat. I toss another grenade and the explosion echoes across the field, but now there's a whine growing louder and louder. Did I not actually destroy the repulsorlifts on that other speeder? A quick look shows that It's still out, so what's making that noise?

The force gives me a warning, a sense of danger, right before the cries of everyone else reach me.

"Incoming!" someone shouts and I barely have time to even move before the descending A-6 starfighters open fire and burn lances of laserfire into the field. Dirt and stone explode outward, covering me and everyone else in dirt and dust.

That's, can we deal with that? Plo Koon managed one in a ship with no distractions and he had a talent for it. But I count at least seven A-6 fighters, and already they're whirring around for another run at us. I think it's about time to go back to the mine. And it looks like that one functioning landspeeder is already back on its way, to make things even worse for us.

I can hear running, Master Tavik is on his way over to me now and I take that as the cue to get ready to run for it.

"Padawan, back to the mine we're retreating." I nod quickly, too nervous to do anything else really. The A-6's come around for another run and we all hunker down to give a smaller target. Even still the attack is a nightmare. Our cover is glowing red hot and seems to even be melting in places from the heat. Master Tavik gives me a firm push towards the mine even as the others are already beginning to move.

"Go!" he turns back to join the other senior Jedi as a rearguard. I take off running, straining to keep up with the other, taller people around me. Damn these short teenage legs! A hand roughly grabs the collar of my tunic and hauls me up, before I can react, I am being carried by Sgt. Vance as he sprints towards the mine. The only consolation is that he's using a fireman's carry and not the princess carry. I swear I'd die from the mortification alone otherwise.

"Ah, hey! At least turn me around! I can deflect shots still." The mortification of being carried is warring with the underlying terror of the situation but he complies and my lightsaber flashes, batting at the few shots sent our way. Okay, I get it, I appear to be a thirteen-year-old girl to these older soldiers. It's fine, they're not being purposefully insulting to my ability, let it go.

That said he is running faster than I would be so whatever, we're already halfway up the hill. I can see the bodies of the pirates scattered over the mini-trench they tried to hide in and it is gruesome. I can also see the bodies of our own strewn around the escape pods, I easily count over a dozen.

We've crested the hill and he sets me down quickly, turning to give covering fire to the others coming up the hill. The senior Jedi coming up last, still deflecting the last of the oncoming shots from the pirates who have proven so far reluctant to come forward. The A-6's have pulled off but that won't be forever, but once we get into the mine proper they won't have a good shot on us.

Gosh I'm tired, feels like I've run a marathon, the adrenaline must be wearing off but I can't rest now, not until the battle's over. The other Jedi are at the top of the hill now and they're still firing. When are they going to stop? I'd really like them to stop.

My lightsaber is still deflecting shots but I'm getting slower and I know it, damn my childish stamina! And the whine is back, the starfighters are coming for another pass at us. Their laser cannons fire and we're only saved by the rock ceiling of the mine entrance. Even then the ground shakes and dust and rocks crack and fall down, pelting us. The pirates have stopped firing and for a moment all is quiet save for the whine of sublight engines. Have they given up? I think they've- no, the mine shakes again as they come around for another run.

Then comes the quiet, the long quiet where we all just sort of wonder what's about to happen. I think they've given up this time, they're not droids or professional soldiers, no way they can keep throwing themselves at us for that long and not just decide to give up.

Slowly, the pirates creep back to their siege line and everyone breathes out in relief. Another battle done and we're not dead yet. We're not done yet though, we have to consolidate ammo, get the wounded sorted and set up watches before we can rest.

Master Tavik taps me on the shoulder and pulls me aside to where Master Koon is inspecting the wounded. I was trained in basic first aid during my initiate years and I feel like I'm going to get some experience at it now.

"We need to bandage up the wounded, we can rest when that's done." Master Tavik gets to work on a wounded soldier and I nod, going to the first untreated soldier.

Back at the temple we always practiced on lifeless dummies and other simulated representations. Other times we'd pretend our fellow initiates were wounded and we'd need to treat them, all under the watchful eye of the Temple healers but this is something different entirely.

Patching up the wounded is a simultaneously enlightening and horrifying task. Blasters being energy based, most wounds are burns and not entry wounds so there's no blood, which is good because I hate blood, but the burns smell horrific. Roasted flesh and something that makes me think of sulfur, it's sickening and makes me glad I haven't really eaten much yet.

Another trooper is set down in front of me, there's a blaster bolt to her chest. Her uniform is burnt away at the front, the edges have melted and fused to her skin and the middle of her chest is burnt black from char. Okay that's serious, she's lucid though the Force only knows how with how much pain she has to be in.

"Please." It's no more than a whisper, I can barely hear it but I look up into her eyes. There's fear and pain and the sense of terror that death is looming over her. I offer my best smile as I reach for the bacta container.

"It's fine, don't worry, we'll get you patched up." I grab the bacta dispenser and inspect it closely, oh it's empty. I know I had some more around here, they'd been set out for me when I started. A glance around and oh Force they're all empty.

"Master Tavik, do you have any more bacta dispensers, I'm out?" He shakes his head, drat well Plo Koon then.

"What about you Master Koon, do you have any bacta to spare?" Plo Koon also shakes his head and I grimace, that's bad. A quick look around and I don't see anyone else rushing forward with bacta. We can't be out of bacta now! There's still so many wounded and my patient isn't going to last without bacta to her burn!

"Please." She rasps again and I can't stop the shaking as I turn my focus back to her. She's still just looking at me but the terror is overwhelming her now, her aura in the Force is flaring with terror and fear but it's also dimming steadily. She repeats herself and I don't know what to say, what do I say to her? I can't look away as the life slowly fades from her, I want to look away, I don't want to see this but my body won't listen to me.

Her eyes close, her lips are moving but no more words are coming out, she's dimming slowly but surely and in a moment of silence she dies.

I stand up from the new corpse, there's no point to patching up the wounded anymore, I don't know what to do anymore. Something's wrong, my hands are shaking, I try to still them and I can't. Her eyes close, life dims and I can't stop shaking.

There's a hand on my shoulder, I don't know who it is except I do but my brain won't focus on it, but its guiding me back into the mine, to a wall. I lean back against the cave wall, slumping down it until I'm sitting. A hand on my head, a sense of quiet.

I'm asleep before I realize what's happening.


	8. Interlude I

Consciousness returns to me slowly, a general sense of awakening and expanding senses. For a moment I'm confused, trying to figure out what's going on and where I am. Memory returns to me abruptly and I groan at the thought. Obi-Wan is standing over me, he looks concerned

'Please', the word echoes through my head again and I groan at the image. I don't want this right now. Breathe in, breathe out, keep going.

"Yes, Obi-Wan?" I say quietly, sitting up to better focus on him, and oh is that Quinlan Vos? The Kiffar padawan stands slightly behind Obi-Wan regarding me quietly. Obi-Wan smiles though I can tell there's an unease to it.

"Glad to see you survived while we were gone, I heard what happened during the distraction and I wanted to check on you." I don't really want to be reminded of what happened, but his concern is appreciated I guess.

"I'm fine Obi-Wan, just tired. It was a stressful battle." A snort from Vos that he doesn't even try to hide.

"That's the most bold-faced lie I've ever heard, good job." I give him a rude gesture and he laughs. I forgot he was a sarcastic bastard. Obi-Wan looks just a bit scandalized but if it comes down to it I'll lay blame on one of Tarkin's men for teaching me that gesture.

"Fine, I'm not okay, I look terrible but there's nothing I can do about it now so wait till we get back to the Temple before we argue this more." Vos shrugs and takes a seat to the left of me against the wall. Obi-Wan takes a seat to my right and for a moment there is quiet.

"So, who're you again?" I've never met Vos before and all said and done I'm not sure whether I'm better or worse off for having met him.

"Ah, Quinlan Vos, padawan to Jedi Master Tholme, a pleasure to meet you." I extend my hand and he reciprocates, shaking firmly.

"Viera Sarat, padawan to Jedi Master Zun Tavik." He nods, another stretch of silence then he speaks.

"So, I heard from some of the troopers you did some crazy stuff during the diversion, what's that about?" Vos turns to look at me and I shrug.

"I just tossed some grenades around, used the Force to guide them down." He frowns for some reason, what?

"How, thermal detonators aren't that big, you'd have to sense it, grab it and then direct its descent downwards." I shrug, not sure where's he going with this, it's just basics, right?

"How could I not? It's just the basics we learned as initiates when Master Yoda taught our lessons. All you gotta do is combine them." He always disguised his lessons as games, I did always like his lessons the best for that. Obi-Wan shakes his head in…disbelief?

"It's not that easy, Master Jinn has only just begun teaching me to sense things like that and I don't think I could focus enough to combine all of those different Force manipulations in the middle of a fight." Vos nods his agreement, is it really that odd?

"I was behind cover, what was there to worry about?" Vos rolls his eyes.

"Yeah because that just explains everything." Obi-Wan nods his assent and I take a moment to think about it. Is it really that odd? I'd always thought it was relatively simple, we learned all those things as children.

I shrug, not sure what to say.

"I don't know, I just did it. Try it yourself when we get back, I'm sure you can figure it out." Obi-Wan rolls his eyes and Vos just looks at me like I have two heads.

Distraction time!

"So, how'd you even get here Vos?" I know how he did but I need to pretend I don't. He shrugs and point back towards Tholme, who's talking with Tyvokka and Plo Koon. I remember him being a very solemn Jedi but a good one. He ended up surviving Order 66 if I remember right.

"Master Tholme and I were investigating the bacta crisis on Thyferra and hitched a ride on a bacta transport to the Core. It got hijacked and we hid while the pirates redirected it to Troiken. When we landed, we fought our way free and encountered Obi-Wan and Master Jinn." Wait, what?

"So, the transport you were on was hijacked by pirates and you decided not to fight them off?" What happened to the transport's crew? Did they get captured or killed? Vos shakes his head and shrugs.

"It was a droid crew so no need to worry about them and Master Tholme wanted to see where the pirates were going. Didn't even realize it was Stark's forces till we got here." Ah that explains it, not going to get into the subject of droid rights now. That's a bit complicated and a touchy subject I don't want to get into now.

After that no one really talks, it's a bit awkward, neither of us are familiar enough for easy conversation and this isn't really the place for it. Though one thing does come to mind.

"Hey Vos, Obi-Wan." They both turn to me.

"When this is over, I'll show you how I did that trick, then you'll see how easy it is." Vos snorts again and Obi-Wan chuckles. The dead woman's last word echoes in my head still, but its quieter now.


	9. Book one: Chapter Seven

The next three days pass in a blur, the pirates haven't attacked us again, possibly out of fear and loss of numbers. Now with two additional Jedi, I'm pretty sure any attack on the mine would end poorly for them anyways.

Though, optimism aside our supplies of food, and ammunition are dwindling. Combined with no bacta, a concentrated assault on the mine would probably spell the end us. It's just a good thing for us that the pirates lack the discipline and morale to do just that.

Obi-Wan, Vos, and I have spent the interim meditating and sleeping. Vos is very blunt, to put it mildly, but I don't mind that too much, he's a good counter to Obi-Wan's more reserved nature. That said he's still a sarcastic bastard, he's just grown on me, like a fungus.

I haven't got the chance to talk to Tholme yet, I'm not even sure what I'd say to him if I did. I don't really remember much of his history except that he survives Order 66 and ends up falling in love with that one Jedi that's also a tree. T'ra Saa, I think that was her name.

Ranulph's been complicated as well, he's been talking with Tyvokka and some of his militia, I assume senior officers? But otherwise he's not been doing much. I haven't been able to approach him and gauge his mood, but since I haven't seen him call for us to surrender I assume we're good? Either way I'm more confident he'll survive the war and after that who knows what could happen.

Obi-Wan taps my shoulder quickly, shaking me out of my musings. He looks worried, more so than when he got back from escorting Valorum, I offer him a reassuring smile, hopefully.

"What's up Obi-Wan, has something happened?" he nods, not saying a word. That's odd, and actually a bit concerning, what could worry him like that? I stand up, no point continuing to meditate and glance around.

Okay, looks like a number of the remaining militia are congregating around the mine entrance, I can hear whispering but I can't really make out the words. They sound angry though, I can see Master Tavik and the other Jedi there as well.

"Alright, lead the way." I follow him closely, what have the pirates done, because they must have done something, not sure what else it could be.

I push my way through the assembled militia and immediately I feel so happy I can't see the way everyone else does.

The pirates have been busy removing the escape pods, depriving both us and them of potential cover but they've made way for impromptu stakes. I can see bodies on those stakes, a lot of bodies. They've been mutilated beyond recognition but the implication is clear. They're all members of the militia, a quick glance to my left and right and I can see the anger burning in the eyes of all of the militia members. If this was meant to break their morale it failed, more probably it's just there to taunt us or incite us into a suicidal charge.

Oh, movement! One of the pirates has moved from the siege lines and is approaching the middle of the field. He's got something in his hands, it's not a weapon I can tell that much, a voice amplifier maybe, the only thing that makes any sense for him to have outside of a weapon.

The pirate stops, and raises the device to his mouth, yep definitely a voice amplifier. Oh boy, this can only end well for all parties involved and I'm sure isn't them saying they surrender.

"Attention assholes, Jedi included!" Well fuck you too pal.

"The Senate has voted against sending aid to you on Troiken, no reinforcements are coming, surrender now and we promise you will be treated well." Well, me and the other Jedi will be treated well as hostages, the militia less so. The pirate continues and I notice one of the militia, Durame I think, raise her sniper rifle.

"You have twenty-four hours to surrender, if you do not we will attack and you will all die." That said he turns around and marches back towards the siege line.

Alright, look around, no one seems happy with the idea of surrender but when the food runs out it's probably going to look more appealing. Vos scoffs from somewhere behind me, when the hell did he get there?

"No one here seems keen on the idea, so I assume we'll have our last stand tomorrow. Good knowing you guys." I shrug, watching the activity around the siege line.

"Speak for yourself, we're going to win this somehow and survive ideally." Obi-Wan rolls his eyes, Vos is a bad influence, as he turns away from the grisly sight.

"And how will we do that, with little ammunition and being massively outnumbered." Oh, ye of little faith, I point towards Tyvokka and Plo Koon who are talking quickly to each other on the opposite end of the mine.

"I assume they have a plan, just a thought." Master Tavik, Qui-Gon Jinn and Tholme are already heading that way, I gesture to Obi-Wan and Vos and head over that way. Might as well go see what the plan is, even though I know what the plan is, I think.

Tyvokka growls softly as we approach, he and the other Jedi seem confident so that's a plus.

Padawans, good of you to join us. Master Koon has a plan and will need all our help to do it. Take a seat. The other Jedi are beginning to sit as well and I take the open seat next to Master Tavik, solidarity woo!

Plo Koon is the only one still standing and as he looks out over us I am reminded that he is also a member of the Baran Do Sages, the Force-using order from Dorin. When it comes time to go for my planned tour of the various Force organizations, he'll be one of my examples.

"The Senate has voted not to come to our aid, but they are not the only sources of help we have. My niece, Sha Koon, is an initiate in the Temple right now. If we all join in meditation, our combined presence in the Force will allow me to contact her and through her the Council." That honestly sounds like bullshit but I think telepathy is his strong suit?

How is this going to work exactly? It sounds like we're all going to be trying to just meditate and create a sort of mini Force Nexus that he can use to boost his telepathy. The Force can work like that? That's sorta ridiculous though, how come they never tried doing that to sense out Darth Sidious, or is it something situational and only useful in certain conditions? Something to ponder later I suppose.

"It's just like what we've been trained to do as initiates, trust Master Koon, he knows what he's doing." Master Jinn shifts into a meditative position and closes his eyes. Alright then, this is our plan, it's not a great plan but the fact that it's going to work makes it a little better I guess.

Alright so relax your focus, spread out your senses to the world around you. The Force is present, a relaxing warmth that begins in my chest and filters throughout my body. This is perhaps the greatest part of being able to use the Force. I swear when this whole Sith crisis is over, or I fail and end up having to wait for Luke, I'm going to spend the rest of my life in simple meditation.

I can feel the others beginning to meditate as well and their presence in the Force surrounds me. If I reach out I can poke each of them and follow the string of Force that binds all of them together. It's rather interesting really.

We're all meditating and I can feel things changing. It's strange, it almost feels like the Temple itself, that sense of being surrounded by the Light side of the Force. I almost feel like if I were to leave meditation I would find myself in the Temple itself.

Is this working? I can't tell, I'm not the one in contact with the Temple or Sha Koon so it's impossible to tell. How do I know when to stop, should I stop, this is nice? I'm sure that one of the other Jedi will alert me when it's time to stop.

Hang on, I wonder if I could try something. I narrow my sense and focus to Master Koon, his presence in the Force is bright and shiny, but there's tendrils reaching out to all of us, but especially to Tyvokka. However, there's one that goes seemingly nowhere and so I turn my attention to that one.

I don't really know what I'm doing here so I poke at it and it responds to me in ways I can't quite comprehend. Could I piggyback on that, I wonder? It's like a salmon swimming upriver, I am the salmon and Plo Koon is the river.

Sensation overwhelms me and the effort of focusing on my task is near impossible to overcome. But if there is one thing I have it is focus, and slowly I manage to wrest control of my own senses back and continue my journey.

Where am I now? There's this sense of weightlessness that I can't place but I feel like I'm somewhere important now. The Force is brimming with power around me and I can't place it. Okay, so am I in the Temple now? I can't really bring anything into focus, it's all just blurry but I feel like I've done something incredible.

The strain is quite impressive though, I'm not used to this and I don't have nearly the necessary skill to hold the connection for long, alright time to go back to Troiken. Oh, boy my head hurts now, that wasn't really what I expected and I probably shouldn't have tried that. It seems like everyone else is coming out of their trances, I was doing that longer than I thought. Slowly I come back to myself, feeling the dull pain throbbing in my skull

How long have we been doing this? I can see people moving around a bit and outside the sun seems to be descending? Is it nearly dusk already?

Plo Koon looks pleased, I think? I can't really read his facial expressions like a human but I assume something positive happened.

"It seems to have worked, I managed to get in contact with my niece and through her, Master Rancisis." Wasn't that the guy who knew how to do Battle Meditation?

"They are organizing a Jedi strike force to relieve us here, I have also been in contact with Director Stark via telepathy. He's seen the fruitlessness of this siege and is willing to defect in exchange for a pardon. I realize it's not ideal but he has information we need in order to escape this situation

Alright, how are we going to do this. As I stand there's a commotion from the back of the mine, what's going on? I can see militia congregating around the area, their weapons are drawn, that doesn't look good what the hell?

We've all got our lightsabers drawn but not activated as we approach the disturbance, seems like something came out of one of the old side tunnels? Did the pirates try to sneak in? No, we'd be hearing blasterfire if it were.

The militia clear a path for us but do not drop their guns, the intruder is an….alien? greyish skin four arms, long neck and short head. Ah, that's a Xexto, they're native to Troiken, wait I think I remember this.

Upon sight of us, the Xexto raises his hands in what I assume is relief as he points towards us.

"Ah! Jedi, yes good Jedi, please tell these men to not shoot. I have come to help you, I mean no harm!" he seems rather afraid and for good reason but I don't sense any duplicity in him. Neither do the other Jedi and they return their lightsabers to their belt. Plo Koon steps forward to address the Xexto.

"I believe you, what is your name? The Xexto nods and points back to the tunnel he came from.

"I am Billibango, I live here, around the mountain and I know these tunnels. There is a secret way, out of the mines, that only Billibango knows. It's big enough to fit all of you!" That is useful, good job man.

Plo Koon seems to consider this news, it's good news. I think retreating from the mines might be a strategy now. A quick glance between the others shows they see it too. This is our way out of this siege.

"Moxt Xexto hate both sides, they view them as the cause of our woes, but not I. I know Jedi are good, the Jedi are protectors, I had wished to be a Jedi once, myself." Wait, is he? No, he's force-sensitive but it's minor, he'd hardly be sensitive enough to do anything even an initiate could do, but maybe, I should talk to him later if I can.

Then we have our plan, we will need to split up to do it though. Plo Koon considers the scenario, we need to do something about the navicomputer virus plaguing our ships. Otherwise when the Jedi reinforcements arrive they'll be destroyed and picked apart. Plo Koon seems to have come to the same conclusion.

"Agreed, according to Stark the patch for the virus is in the Combine headquarters we escaped from originally. But we'll need to broadcast it from a ship in orbit, probably the Raptor itself." Which means three teams at least, one to get the patch, one to transmit it to our reinforcements and the third to stay here and help lead the militia out of the mines.

Who's doing what though? I'm honestly preferential to staying here with the militia, it'll let me keep an eye on Tarkin to make sure he doesn't do anything stupid at the last minute. I swear if he kills himself here I'm going to flip. Qui-Gon steps forward with Obi-Wan following.

"Obi-Wan and I can get the virus patch from the Combine headquarters. We've been there before, we're at least passingly familiar with the base." Alright, that's one group, I give Obi-Wan a thumbs up and he smiles.

"Vos and I can sneak onto the Raptor to transmit the patch to the Order." Tholme and Vos look ready to go, that's good, which leaves me for the job I wanted. Plo Koon turns towards me and Master Tavik.

"We'll be retreating with the main force from the mines. When the pirates attack, we will trap them in the mines. To do that we'll need precisely timed explosives. Work with the militia to ensure this gets done." Alright, and I know just who to go to for the explosives.

We're adjourned shortly after, most everything else to discuss was simply details of the assignment. Left to my own devices and with a goal in mind, time to find Sgt. Vance.

He smiles upon seeing me, but it's a tired smile, he's exhausted and not likely to last much longer. Well it's a good thing we're going to get out of here alive.

"Hey padawan, what can I do for you?" His voice is strained, aww hold on buddy I've got a plan.

"We've got a plan to get out of here, but we need more explosives, charges if you have them." He looks at me for a moment before contemplating.

"We might have some det charges we could use, gonna take some time to set them up though." I shrug and do not try to hide my delight at the thought of making things explode.

"Well then, let's get started." He nods and stands, and it's off we go to collect weapons of mass destruction. Of which we find plenty, no grenades because I used a lot of them, but plenty of primed charges.

"Alright, we're going to have to set these at specific points along the tunnel passage, specifically where the pirates won't see them in time." He takes out the charge and sets it down in front of me. It's cylindrical instead of square with three buttons on it.

"Alright, the two red buttons set the timer and the green button primes it." I raise my hand.

"Ah, Sergeant- "he interrupts me.

"In a moment, now I know we're using remote detonation but the signal will be shaky in the tunnel, so we'll need to set a timer just in case" I again raise my hand.

"Sergeant Vance, I feel that I should-"Again I am interrupted.

"In a moment, now we'll need to remember to set these charges against fault points if we can find them to maximize tunnel collapse. Leave finding those to me, I've been in mines before so I know what to look for." Patiently I wait for him to finish, not really wanting to be interrupted a third time. He looks at me and makes a 'go on' gesture.

"Alright padawan, what's your question." I lower my hand and point to the buttons.

"I'm colorblind." The look on his face, as the realization dawns on him is quite frankly priceless. He looks at the color-coded buttons, mulling over my words.

"Oh…well then." I can't help laughing at that, okay that was the type of reaction I had hoped for. He sighs and runs his hand through his hair.

"Alright then, leave arming it to me I guess." I nod, still giggling uncontrollably. I love it. He growls something unpleasant under his breath but waves me off.

"Go get some rest, we've got till the morning to get some rest. I'll come find you then." I nod and pat him sympathetically on the back as he stands. He shakes his head, chuckles and heads off. I like him, I hope he survives.

Now then, I need to get some sleep and prepare for tomorrow.

My sleep that night was broken up by every sound within 100 feet of me. Always I would awaken with the sense that something was about to happen or that I'd slept too long. It's a stupid concern, Vance or Master Tavik would have awoken me if I had slept too long.

And still her death plagues my dreams, I don't know her name, the desire to know burns inside me but I know that if I ask, then it will only haunt me further. I must be strong, I must be focused. So, when I awoke an hour before dawn to find Obi-Wan, Vos, and their masters preparing to head out, I make sure to get a few final words in.

"Now, don't do anything too rash, if you get hurt because of your own recklessness then I swear I'll make you regret it." Obi-Wan smiles and Vos just rolls his eyes but Jinn and Tholme watch on silently, not really judging from what I can tell but watching nonetheless.

"We'll be fine, you're the one who'll be handling explosives, don't go blowing yourself up with all those charges." Obi-Wan bows and withdraws to Master Jinn. Vos shrugs and turns towards Master Tholme, waving as he departs.

"See you on the other side, Viera." They'll be fine, I know they will. They both depart with their Masters shortly afterwards and I am left to my own devices. Time to meditate.

Meditation is easy, even with my lingering drowsiness I can focus on my meditation without hardly trying. I need this, this comforting familiarity to chase away the jitters and prepare myself. Master Tavik taps me on the shoulder some amount of time later.

The rest of the militia are already awake and organizing, I can see a couple watching for a pirate assault while others prepare the wounded for transport through the tunnels, which is honestly going to be the hardest part of this retreat. Plo Koon and Tyvokka are talking with Ranulph and Jace, probably finalizing the plans for the retreat.

I can see Sgt. Vance approaching with the pack of explosives we'd gathered the night before. He waves at both of us and points to his pack.

"I've got the explosives right here Master Jedi, we'll need to set them as we retreat." Master Tavik nods and squeezes my shoulder briefly, I can sense calmness, reassurance and a firm determination from him, well as long as he's with me I'm confident this will work.

"Alright then, we'll be leaving shortly, be ready to go in ten." Sgt. Vance nods and goes back to his squad, Master Tavik turns to me and smiles.

"Alright padawan, this is it. I know this hasn't been a typical first mission but you've performed far better than I could have expected. You've done well, now we just have to do just a little more and we're through." I smile and nod in response, I like him, he's a good man.

"Of course, Master, I promise to do my best." Yes, let's get this over and done with. I'm ready to be out of here.

The moment is nice, and that's all the more reason that karma nips it in the bud. I can hear Jace calling everyone to get ready to move, time to go then. Sgt. Vance and the rest of the rearguard are waiting by the tunnel entrance as Billibango leads the other Jedi and militia through the tunnel path. Ranulph is…. going with Jace and Tyvokka, oh thank the Force he's not going to suicide himself. Excellent, he's not dead.

"Alright, padawan come along now." Master Tavik is waving me towards the tunnel, we're moving out now. Then he ducks into the tunnel, yay for being short, I don't have to duck to fit. It is rather cramped though.

I hate enclosed spaces, there's not much for me to do either! I can't place charges cause the buttons are colored and it's too risky to make a mistake. Both Master Tavik and I are just at the very rear of the pack to block blasters should the pirates catch up to us.

"Master Jedi, I need your lightsaber." Sgt. Vance is crouched next to an indent in the wall. There's a sort of crevice with a protruding edge that blocks off part of the interior of the crevice.

"Master Jedi, can you cut the edge of this rock? I need to fit a charge in there. It's the perfect spot for it." Master Tavik nods and ignites his saber, illuminating the tunnel even more with its bright glow, there's the sound of heat on rock and a solid thump as it hits the ground.

The retreat continues like that for some time, just silence broken by the occasional request for a specific lightsaber cut and then silence again. This is pretty anticlimactic, and I freeze the instant I say that, damn it karma!

Something's moving at the edge of my vision, coming towards us at a pretty steady rate, there's a glow too and chittering, what the hell.

I barely have time to scream as the challat eaters, the carnivorous insects prone to wander Troiken swarm towards us from the direction we just came. Where did they come…..from, shit. I remember now, originally Tyvokka died, which resulted in Vos wandering away from the group in grief, Obi-Wan following and the both of them encountering a swarm in a separate tunnel.

The other Jedi saved them and sealed up the tunnel with the Force, since Tyvokka never died here that didn't happen. And now they're after us with no convenient pirates to distract them. A panicked Force push slows the horde for mere moments but it gives me time to draw my saber. Not sure what good that'll do but I should do something. A hand grabs me by the shoulder and roughly yanks me back.

Master Tavik is in front of me now, hand extended towards the oncoming swarm and holding it back with the Force. It's like a barrier has been put up between him and the challat eaters that they keep bouncing off.

"Retreat quickly, go!" I guess lining the tunnel with explosives is a bust, time go fast. I hope everyone else is moving faster than we are. I move down the tunnel with the others, I can see Master Tavik retreating slowly, holding that barrier up from the carnivorous demons chasing us down.

Oh, boy is this turning out worse than I expected, wait why am I not helping him? I turn back towards him, I can see how the Force moves around him as he holds back the swarm. It's like a constant Force push, or maybe a geyser. Could I mimic him and do that?

Can't hurt to try, alright, extend your senses, arm out, hand facing the threat and push. The Force answers my call and pushes into Master Tavik's barrier. Not sure if that's working but it's not hurting so I don't care.

Okay, slow retreat, keep up the barrier, I don't want to die here and I especially don't want to be eaten alive by these bugs. Master Tavik hasn't yelled at me to go, maybe he's too busy holding the Challat Eater back, or maybe he just knows I won't listen to him.

How far is it until we reach the end? We've been going for at least an hour and a half before the challat eaters made their appearance and now we've been holding them back and retreating for probably thirty minutes.

There's a scream, from somewhere beyond the barrier, did one of ours get lost? Oh, that poor bastard, then numerous screams, the sound of blasterfire and a horrible crunching sound. Oh, my god, the pirates! Did they come after us, find an empty mine, go down a side tunnel and find the challat eaters?

That's nice and convenient, I'm not really concerned about the pirates, they have a clear retreat. We on the other hand need the reprieve. I can already see the number of challat eaters attacking us diminish. They're breaking themselves against a barrier they can't get around with more vulnerable food behind them. They're smart enough to realize they're not getting anywhere with this.

Within minutes they've trickled down to only a few attackers, then eventually none. There's a momentary pause as we wait for them to come back or redouble their assault but nothing happens. Master Tavik drops the barrier and I do too, why am I sweating? Master Tavik gives me a curt nod.

"Alright padawan, we've held them back, now move." No need to tell me twice, off we go!

Thankfully, the exit is only another twenty minutes away at as brisk a run as we can manage in the cramped corridor. Sgt. Vance is waiting, frantically gesturing for us to hurry.

"Come on, I'm blowing the charges, hurry up." We put on a burst of adrenaline, the exit is a small opening just large enough to fit us going single file but as soon as we're out I can feel the shaking from the detonated charges.

We're out, we're alive! I can't help but laugh at our luck and good fortune. Yes! I never want to see Troiken again.

There's something going on in the sky above us, brief flashes of something that I can barely see. Master Tavik looks up at the sky from beside me, a grin on his face.

"Looks like our friends have arrived, they're routing what's left of Stark's orbiting force. This war is as good as ours." Yeah it is, I take a seat and fall back to watch the flashes of light across the sky.

Finally, it's over.


	10. Interlude II

"It's not that hard!" I don't understand how this is that hard. The breeze blowing through my hair is refreshing and I am once again so thankful for this vacation.

Well technically it's a training exercise but it's been more like a vacation, at least compared to Troiken. We've been on Raggoon VI for four days now and we've got another ten before we leave. The planet is a paradise, unspoiled by any industry and restricted for Jedi only.

There's forests, rolling plains, mountains and more with fruit trees and crops left to grow wild across the planet. Countless fish and fauna to eat, and oh how fun it was to go hunting and eat actual grilled meat! The Temple generally only ever served meat in stews or roasts with vegetables and other healthier foods. The chance to catch a nerf and grill an actual steak almost made me cry, also catching and grilling fish is amazing. If we weren't exercising so much I'd probably gain significant weight here.

Beyond that we've done nothing but run around, practice meditation, lifting objects, sensing the world around us. The occasional lightsaber practice, broken up with the occasional dip into the lake to swim and cool down. Which is conveniently where we are now.

Our campsite rests at the banks of a big lake, surrounded by forest on one side and a small cliff face on the other. After doing the obvious thing of jumping into the lake from the cliff, Obi-Wan and Vos asked me to show them how I did the trick with the grenades on Troiken.

To that end, we got Master Tavik and Master Jinn, Tholme was sent on a solo assignment for the duration of the trip, to set up a ring of stones to create a target zone on the opposite end of the lake from where we stood on the cliff. Then we gathered a number of rocks suitable for throwing and climbed up the cliff.

Once there I did my best to explain and show how I had combined three basic aspects of Control to do what I did, tossing a stone and using the Force to make it land in the circle on the opposite end of the lake. Then both Vos and Obi-Wan took their turn attempting it.

It didn't go well, both seem to be faltering at grasping the rock once in the air. That or they take too long to give it the extra boost it needs to hit the target. Vos's first attempt hit the bank of the lake, Obi-Wan's didn't even get that far.

Neither of them are happy with that and Vos is particularly sulky about it.

"It is that hard! How do you grab hold of the damn thing once it's in the air? I just, grab it? It's there, reaching out for it isn't that hard. Hell, it should be easier for them since they can physically see it, easier to visualize too I bet.

"Just sense it, focus your senses on the rock as it leaves your hand and when you push it, grab hold of it as well." Then you can nudge its decent towards the target you desire.

"We're not Miraluka! We don't have as easy a time sensing things like you do." Okay Vos, that's actually a good point I guess. I mean, it still doesn't sound as hard as it seems to be, but maybe that's my added years giving me an advantage. I sigh and heft another rock, tossing it to Vos.

"Alright Vos, come here to the edge with me and let me try to help you one more time." He steps up beside me and grips the rock tightly in his hand. Obi-Wan watches silently as I point out to the target.

"Alright, just focus on the rock for now, visualize it, feel it, whatever helps you. Throw it when you're ready." Vos grips the rock tightly, holding it in his hand and stares out at the target across the lake.

Then he throws, tossing the rock into the air.

"Alright! Give it a push, maintain that hold on it, don't lose your focus on it!" I can follow it's path in the air as it boosts towards the target. It's wobbling as Vos tries to hold onto it and guide its descent. He's doing better though, he might actually get close to it.

I can't hear the dull thud but I can sense its impact on the beach, inches from the target. Alright, go Vos! He's jumping up in joy, good for him, he's learning. He chuckles and gestures to Obi-Wan.

"You see that! I got so close, that was amazing!" Obi-Wan is grinning as well as he approaches.

"Yeah, I saw that, good job Vos, good job Viera." He says as he comes to rest on the edge of the cliff. Now what, just hone that skill I suppose.

Hm, that water is deep enough to be safe, we've jumped into it before. I turn to Vos with a disarming smile.

"Good job Vos, I think we ought to celebrate." He nods cheerfully before stopping, something in my tone seems to have made him suddenly nervous. He realizes my intention far too late to do anything.

"Viera, don't you da- "whatever he was about to say is cut off as a quick Force shove sends him over the cliff edge and towards the water. I'm not too worried, his reflexes have already kicked in and he's straightened his descent, splashing harmlessly into the water. I wave as he lands, he deserved that I think.

"Alright Obi-Wan, let's go I'm making steaks tonight." We got some edible mushrooms and onion-ish things to cook too, I'm pretty excited actually. Wait, why is Obi-Wan smiling.

A shove and I'm sent plummeting downwards, alright shift to land safely, Obi-Wan you're getting fed last or this. Despite that, I can't help but laugh before I splash down into the cool water.


	11. Book one: Part Eight

My lightsaber flashes before me, swinging in neat, graceful motions. Master Tavik blocks easily, catching my blade with his on each stroke. The Force answers my call as I leap over him, blade arcing down from above. He steps out of the way and kicks his leg out as I land.

I'm not quite fast enough to dodge and I am very quickly knocked from my feet. Okay, ouch, I didn't expect to be anywhere near his level of skill but I had hoped I wouldn't be getting my ass kicked this bad. Unrealistic expectations I guess. Alright, stand back up, assume the Ataru stance and begin.

"Don't stay still padawan, Ataru is a very acrobatic form. If you're not moving then you're wasting your energy." Master Tavik raises his lightsaber in a guard stance as he says this and wait. Alright then, here I come.

I rush forward to attack again, lightsaber swinging low. Master Tavik brings his lightsaber down to dodge easily but I planned for this! I'm not that dumb, I draw back and leap up, switching to an overhead strike instead, ha ha! Or not, he's already adjusted and blocked but there is a small grin on his face.

"Good job, Viera, against a more skilled opponent there is an advantage to experimentality, now again!" I charge in again, swinging my blade left, he blocks again and we dance back and forth, me attacking from different angles and him blocking me without difficulty, but it's fun and informative.

Mastering forms is all about mastering cadences and getting used to fighting in a certain manner. Ataru is a form of acrobatics and agility, dodging around a single enemy to attack from different angles as fast as possible. It's tiring though, which is incidentally how Qui-Gon eventually got himself killed. His use of Ataru tired him out and made him sloppy against Maul, I need to do something about my stamina. I've got some ideas but not much chance to implement them.

And woah, Master Tavik just went on the attack, I raise my lightsaber to block and it's just barely in time, he doesn't let up and continues with a barrage of strikes, forcing me to backpedal as I attempt to gain enough ground to just think enough to plan.

He doesn't let me and in a few quick strikes he's disarmed me of my training saber and I've raised my hands in surrender. Another loss for me it seems, he nods and deactivates his training saber and with the Force picks up both of them and floats them over to the rack. I guess training is done for the day, he steps over to me and appraises me for a moment. From experience, I know he's looking for bruises or anything that might warrant sending me to the Healers quarters. After a minute he nods, seemingly satisfied and smiles.

"Alright, good work, you're still new to this but I'm impressed with how fast you're able to memorize the cadences I've taught you. But memorizing isn't enough, you spend too much time thinking, you have to let it be instinctual." He says with a bit of amusement, a joke I'm not privy too?

It reminds me of the concept of Mushin from my world, the idea that in certain situations one had to learn to not think and attain the art of no-mind. It was this philosophical idea that only when one let go of all their thoughts and simply acted, that their body would do the rest without them.

"In any case, padawan, I have a mission lined up for us tomorrow, so make sure to get some sleep tonight." He says as he grabs his robe from the bench and I do the same.

"Yes, Master, I'll be ready tomorrow morning." I say and with a bow our training for the day is dismissed.

There's not much to do right now so I begin wandering aimlessly through the Temple, Maks is getting ready for a mission soon and everyone else is currently on a mission so there' s little for me to actually do. I could go meditate in the Room of a Thousand Fountains, or spend some time researching in the library but even that can only occupy me for a while. I haven't heard anything on galactic news about Ranulph Tarkin aside from speculation on what effect the Stark Hyperspace War would have on his political presence. He hasn't released a statement or taken any interviews and I'm not sure why, at least not yet.

Though there was one thing of note to happen from Troiken, I got a chance to talk to the Xexto, Billibango, and point him in the direction of the Matukai on Karvoss II. He wasn't happy to hear he didn't have enough sensitivity to become a Jedi but telling him the Matukai could help fix that, he was more than eager to make plans to head that way. I wish him luck, maybe I'll see him again later.

The Temple isn't really a place for recreation, not much point for a monastic order like the Jedi totally are, but they do have several lounges around the Temple proper. Granted these lounges aren't much, an assortment of tables, chairs and a couch or two, alongside a little kitchenette that usually has a pot of tea or caf ready. They're generally just places to stop in for quick relaxation before moving on with your business. There's a holonet feed for news and other political news, something for those Jedi who want to stay informed of what's going on.

Hilariously enough without fail if you go into one of these lounges come evening it's not uncommon to see a couple older Jedi crowded around one of these feeds, watching news shows. Some things never change even in different universes.

Though as I approach my favorite lounge located below the Library, I stop at the sound of something distinctly odd. There's some sort of loud noise coming from the lounge. It sounds like shouting and something else I can't place. There's no warning of danger from the Force and I sincerely doubt we're under attack but I can't help but be cautious as I approach, what the hell is going on?

I step into the lounge and can't help but gawk, I'm not sure what to expect for this. Four Jedi Masters are assembled on the couch, I recognize Mace Windu and Yoda easily, they're not forgettable. The other two are harder to place but after a moment the names click.

Hello, Dooku and, Sifo-Dyas, Dooku's hair is longer than when seen in the movies but I can still recognize his facial features, his voice also gives him away, and Sifo-Dyas I don't really know its him but considering his friendship with Dooku I'm assuming. I'll found out for sure later.

They're watching something on the holo-feed, it looks like a sports feed. Wait, is that Smashball? From what I've heard it's like super rugby with all kind of sci-fi features like reduced gravity and semi-harmless traps. I didn't know Dooku was a fan, hell I didn't know Mace and Yoda were fans.

Hardcore fans by the looks of it, Dooku and Mace are at the very least. They seem to be rooting for opposite teams and I'm briefly reminded of when I was young, back in my real life, when my father and uncle would argue over football matches. Yoda seems to be content with alternating between egging them on and his own brand of commentary. Sifo-Dyas is just watching silently, not really getting anything specific from him.

Alright, that's an amusing sight, and one I don't want to interrupt. I continue my way to the kitchenette and yes, there's a fresh pot of hot water and some tea packets. Alright, grab myself a cup, pour in the hot water and add my little tea packet.

There's an empty table and chair to my right so I take a seat and relax. The game is still going on, Mace and Dooku still seem engrossed in the game, I was never much of a sports fan and I'm still not. The game seems to be almost pointlessly violent and if there's a strategy involved I can't see it, Dooku and Mace seem invested though. Yoda's just there to mess with them and Sifo-Dyas seems to be rather uncomfortable though.

A few minutes in and the tea is ready, It is such a good thing I like tea, cause outside of caf, water, or fruit juice, there's nothing else to drink here. I miss having a cold soda at the end of the day or more specifically alcohol. Just five more years and it's the legal drinking age for me, oh goodness I can't wait.

I wonder what kind of mission Master Tavik got from the Council, I sincerely hope it's not as crazy as Troiken was. Galidraan has already happened, while we were on Raggoon VI, so there's no other major event I can think of to happen. Maybe it'll be a smalltime criminal investigation on some planet I've never heard of, that'd be nice. It'll probably be something galaxy-threatening, I'm not that lucky.

There's movement, Sifo-Dyas has left the couch and is heading for the kitchenette. Hm, I had been hoping to talk to Dooku at some point about Galidraan. Palpatine hasn't corrupted him yet, but it's a near thing, I've wondered if it would be possible to prevent him from falling. Sifo-Dyas is not only my best shot at getting to Dooku but he's significant himself.

Alright, he's separated from the others and they seem plenty distracted, he doesn't seem to care for the game anyways. I stand up and head over towards him, he turns towards me and offers a polite smile. Alright cool, take advantage of that and draw him in. I bow respectfully as I approach.

"Ah, Master Sifo-Dyas, sir, a moment if I may?" He looks uncertain but having to wait for his tea to be ready, he doesn't really have much to do anyways. Despite that he collects himself quickly and smiles.

"Yes, padawan, how can I assist you?" he says politely, Yoda, Dooku, and Mace are still distracted by the game. Good, I don't want them to interrupt me.

"You were at Galidraan, weren't you?" That was unknown but unsurprising to find out, and by the way he stills it isn't something he likes to remember. Unsurprising, eleven Jedi died at Galidraan, many of them probably people he knew.

"That isn't something a padawan should be asking about, you're too young to start worrying about-"

"I was at Troiken, I know enough." He pauses briefly, there's something new in his gaze, I can't quite place it but at least he's not trying to dismiss me. Then he sighs and picks up his cup of tea, walking not to the couch but towards the table I'd been sitting at. I follow him quickly and take a seat beside him.

"So, you're Master Tavik's padawan, I heard about what happened there. You padawans should have never been put into such a position." I take a sip of my tea and shrug, there's no point to wishing otherwise, 'Please', might as well move forward.

"Maybe, the whole thing was one stressful situation after another, but I survived, I learned a lot. I just wanted to ask, what do you think about the role of the Jedi in the Republic?" Ah, he wasn't expecting that question, but it's good to get a feel for his thoughts on the matter.

"The role of the Jed in the Republic? Well, I suppose Mace Windu put it best, we fight for civilization, only civilization can create peace." A bit assumptive but not necessarily wrong I guess, it doesn't really answer the question I have though.

"But how? There aren't near enough Jedi to cover all of the Republic and the Galaxy has suffered for it, most of the Outer Rim has descended into anarchy and there's rampant corruption in the Senate. We can't be everywhere." He shrugs slightly though the look on his face says he doesn't disagree with what I'm saying.

"That's true, and certainly worrying, the Judicial Forces have proven slow and inefficient in the face of recent encounters. I've always worried that something bad might be coming for the Republic, but lately it seems the future is unclear." Oh Sifo-Dyas, have I a proposition for you, first the bait.

"The Judicial Forces aren't enough, they couldn't stop the Stark Combine, they haven't been able to clear out the pirates festering in the Landor system, and I'm confident they couldn't do anything against the Mandalorians at Galidraan. The Republic needs a military of its own, even a small one would do wonders for the pirate problem." He looks at me for a long moment, taking a sip of his tea.

"I can't say I disagree, it would take time to get such a military set up and that's even if the Senate could get a military creation act approved." And now the sell, or at least plant the seed and hope it takes fruit.

"When I was on Troiken, I got a chance to talk with Senator Ranulph Tarkin, you know him right? The militarist from Eriadu, his vigilante force was made up from an allied coalition of Outer Rim sectors and systems working together to create a defense force. He even called it the Republic Navy, it was supposed to be the foundation for a new military." I take another sip of my tea, man this is good tea, in the background Dooku and Mace are having a heated discussion about something.

"I've heard bad things about his personality, and after that disaster at Troiken I doubt he has much political capital left to him, I'd be surprised if he becomes a notable figure again." Yes, that is a concern of mine, but it's also an opportunity to manipulate him. Should I be concerned about manipulating him to my own end or is it okay if it's for a sincerely beneficial goal?

"True, but he has nowhere to go but up now and he's hopefully learned some important lessons from Troiken. I had an idea for improving his position, I passed it onto him while I was talking to him. I'm not sure if he'll go for it, though he doesn't really have many options left to him." Sifo-Dyas leans back as I outline the plan I'd laid out to Tarkin. Throughout it all Sifo-Dyas listened patiently, only interrupting briefly to ask for elaboration on certain points.

Then he started to laugh, softly for sure, but laughing nonetheless. Alright, that's a bit rude I think, was the idea that bad. Soon enough he calms down and shakes his head slowly.

"That's, that's a very detailed plan for sure but it's too reliant on specific events going exactly perfect. If he stumbles or fails at any point it could represent a significant setback to the whole plan. It's a good plan, don't get me wrong, working from the ground up would be much easier and more effective than going through the Senate. There's no guarantee that Ranulph uses your idea, then what?" I shrug, it's nothing I hadn't already thought of or considered, there's just very little I can do about it. Sifo-Dyas on the other hand, well he can do a lot more than me,

"That's true Master Dyas but as you said, with so much political capital gone what other choice does he have? He may not have many other options available to him, at least, that's the hope" Sifo-Dyas nods and takes another sip of his tea. For a moment, there is silence before Sifo-Dyas speaks again.

"So, it's not a bad plan, and it could work I suppose. I just don't see why you're telling me instead of your Master or someone on the Council." I sigh and swirl the remaining tea in my cup, oh if only telling the Council would work. As for Master Tavik, I don't know enough about him to determine whether he'd be agreeable to my viewpoint or not.

"You know why more than anyone else Master Dyas, Ranulph might or might not go through with the plan but even if he doesn't, he won't stop aiming for militarization. Wouldn't it be better if he had some assistance? It's not uncommon for Senators to have Jedi advisors assisting them in diplomatic matters." He ponders that for a moment before shaking his head.

"I'm not really that diplomatically inclined, I wouldn't know the intricacies required to do the job effectively and that's if I even wanted to do it." Alright, fair enough but it wasn't' you I had in mind. Dooku at this point is a bit of a wildcard, Palpatine shouldn't have his claws fully into Dooku yet.

However, Dooku at this point is just about ready to go on his crusade against the corruption and other problems in the Republic right now. Palpatine used this as one of his methods to subvert Dooku and draw him to the Dark Side. If I could redirect his attention and energies, would that help? Could I save Dooku from the Dark Side?

"True Master Diyas, you aren't" I point towards Dooku, he's still engrossed in his game, he hardly seems to have noticed his friends' departure.

"He is though, and after Galidraan I imagine a remilitarized Republic might be very appealing to him. Certainly, a healthier way to deal with his frustration, rather than fuming and doing nothing productive about it." He opens his mouth to speak before pausing and looking towards his friend. There's a moment of consideration, he wants to deny my words but can't, then he sighs.

"Yes, he has been very critical of the Republic and Jedi since Galidraan, but that's a natural response, eleven Jedi died at Galidraan, many of them good friends. He's grieving, it will pass and he'll get over it." Even as he says it, I can sense that little spark of inner turmoil, it sounds like he's trying to convince himself more than me.

I'm probably not going to get anymore done with him though, it's generally best to plant the seeds of the idea and let Sifo-Dyas convince himself later. Just the fact that the idea has been presented to him could change things later, when Dooku shows no sign of stopping his criticisms of the Republic and Jedi. I finish off the last of my tea and sigh, that was refreshing and now the training is catching up to me.

"It has been a pleasure speaking to you Master Sifo-Dyas, thank you for the conversation." There's still time to do some meditation before bed, clear my mind a bit. Tomorrow I'll find out what Master Tavik has in mind for us.

Sifo-Dyas nods and smiles, extending out his hand and I grasp it, shaking firmly.

"A pleasure speaking to you Padawan, you've given me something to think about. Your Master should be proud, he has an awfully smart student." I chuckle, he has no idea and sadly would probably never believe me, still.

"It's because I'm actually an adult trapped in the body of a child, really annoying at times." Sifo-Dyas laughs as I depart and I can't help but smile, maybe things will work out, maybe they won't.

"We're going to Ossus?"

The next morning Master Tavik led me to the hangar where Maks and her Master were already waiting. Her Master, a human woman in her late thirties, Denia gives us a look that I could only describe as longsuffering and I can hear Master Tavik sigh.

"You waited till the last minute to tell her, Zun? You haven't changed at all." Denia says as she shakes her head and goes back to inspecting the supplies to be loaded on the ship. Maks smiles, as much as a Gran can, and rushes over to me.

"This is so exciting, we're going on a mission together! I didn't know you were coming or else I'd have told you about it yesterday. We're going on an archeological survey of one of the Order's most important sites" I smile and shrug, there's no way I could have predicted this, I look over to Master Tavik who is still looking in Master Denia's direction. He notices my gaze and chuckles.

"Well the, Hanna Institute of Antiquities is doing a survey and requested assistance from the Order. I found out from Master Denia and thought it might be good for us to go along too." I nod, really all I can think of to do to that.

Ossus, formerly the location of one of the most significant Jedi Academies in the galaxy until it was destroyed by a supernova thousands of years ago. It was left abandoned afterwards and the descendants of the surviving Jedi went undiscovered until Luke went there thousands of years later.

Ood Bnar though, a powerful Jedi Master, survived the explosion by turning into a tree. I'm…. not sure how that worked aside from it being an extension of his Neti biology. The point is, he's alive there and if I remember, hiding a trove of Jedi relics under his tree form. I'm not sure what the effect of finding and getting him back to the Order would be. I'm not even sure there would be a significant change with him back early, but he otherwise dies on Ossus shortly after he wakes up.

Waking up and living for a few decades before the Jedi purge, if that still happens, surely must be better than waking up and dying the same day. I offer Maks a smile and a nod.

"I'm sure it'll be an enlightening visit. I wonder if we'll find anything interesting." Maks beams back at me.

"Well of course, a lot of data was sent back to the Temple before the academy's destruction but they had a lot of older scrolls and tomes that could have survived in fragments and other forms. Even fragments of lightsabers and other items could tell us so much about the period. It's going to be so much fun!" I listen patiently, going through everything I remember of Ossus.

Yes, this is certainly going to be an interesting mission.


	12. Book one: Part Nine

Ossus's surface was unimpressive from the ship and it's as unimpressive on the ground. Don't get me wrong, this is one of the most notable Jedi sites in the Galaxy, but there's next to no vegetation, there's no animals I can see and it's just the same scenery over and over again.

How the hell did the Ysanna survive here for three thousand years? What did they eat or drink, how'd they build their weapons?

That said our little party has set down on a cliffside overlooking the ruins of the Ossus Academy, I say ruins but according to Master Denia the ruins here are only a tenth of the size of the original academy.

And to that I say, wow, the ruins alone are pretty big and spread out, there are at least two or three dozen structures of various sizes around the site. Granted most of them are small or have missing walls or roofs but still, this is a tenth of the original? The original must have been nigh on a city.

Doctor Turnell, our liaison with the Hanna Institute, has said that since the radiation dissipated over a thousand years ago there have been twenty-five sponsored digs and they still haven't fully unearthed everything about the site.

Okay, but why though? Surely, it's more efficient to maintain a permanent dig site to uncover the ruins. If funding was an issue then why haven't they worked on any joint projects with other institutes or sought Senate funding.

Listening to Doctor Turnell speak has revealed some interesting history. I already know that the Barsenthor of the old Star Wars MMO from my world existed, but I wasn't aware she was buried on Chandrila in the crystal catacombs. I might like to go visit that tomb sometime later, it could be enlightening in many ways.

That…opens some possibilities, I need to look into that later. In the meantime, while Doctor Turnell, his assistants and our Masters set up the expensive and fragile equipment, we get to search the ruins for anything that might have been unearthed by erosion of any sort. Whatever had destroyed Ossus, whether it really was a supernova or just some Sith magic they called a supernova, didn't bury any of the ruins. Instead the wind storms and ash thrown up over millennia had buried a lot of the ruins. They'd been mostly excavated in the preceding digs but there was still sometimes stuff to be found

That said, an easy assignment, and one that gives me a perfect excuse to find Ood Bnar, wherever he is. As I step into one of the smaller structures it's hard not to take note of the way this place feels. I've noticed it since I stepped foot on the planet but this place is hollow. In my previous life, the memories are a bit shaky but I remember visiting Pompeii. It was part of a school trip, but the point is, knowing the great tragedy that occurred there I could almost feel like there was this silent weight on my shoulders This feeling that I was standing amongst the dead.

This entire planet is a graveyard, the Force is wounded here, I can still sense it but I almost don't want to. There's an echo that is lingering at the back of my mind, and if I focus, it screams at me. I don't like this place, I'll be all too happy to leave when the time comes.

Maks is behind me, looking around dutifully, we're looking for absolutely anything that could be pertinent. Fragments of flimsi, broken machine parts, crystals, anything. Supposedly one of the first digs managed to find a working ancient lightsaber and other such rare artifacts have been found.

"Oh, look Viera! There's something in the ground here." I turn my attention to her, she's crouched down over a patch of dirt where I can vaguely see something most certainly not dirt. It looks metallic, it can't be a lightsaber, can it?

Maks takes hold of the object, digging it out of the dirt and holding it up for the both of us to see. Okay, it's not a lightsaber but it does look like a part of one, hm I think I recognize it.

"Maks, is that an emitter matrix?" She inspects it closely, it looks like one and isn't that just the weirdest thing. Probably got buried when the supernova hit. I wonder if it was part of a constructed lightsaber or a random part lying about that got buried. Still, a good find. She takes out a datapad from her pack and takes a picture of the site, as well as making a note of the location.

"Looks like it, I'm sure Doctor Turnell will appreciate the find." I nod and step out of the structure, usually basking in the sun is one of the most refreshing things for me, not here. It's as if I can feel the sun's rays but there's no warmth to it, there's just….nothing.

Maks steps out after me, I assume nothing else was found, the Gran padawan looks at me for a moment before stepping up beside me. There's a nervousness in her body-language that worries me, is something wrong?

"Ah, Viera, are…are you alright?" Am I? I was under the assumption that I was, but maybe not.

"Yes, I believe so, why is there something wrong Maks?" There's another ruin that looks about as promising so I start walking towards it. After a minute Maks follows.

"It's just that, you've seemed so distracted lately. Master Tavik and Master Denia sent us out here to look around and you looked like you didn't hear a thing they said." Did I? I suppose I must seem distracted to other people. It can't be helped though, I've got so much on my mind.

Granted, this whole assignment is just to keep us busy while they set up delicate equipment for excavation. The fact that Maks found that emitter matrix was a lucky break for us. There's also something about this place that makes me feel uneasy.

"Yes, I'm sorry, it's just that there's so much to think about. This place, what happened here, everything else." I shrug, there's not much else to say on the matter. I do need to focus, maybe get myself a datapad or some flimsy and write down a more cohesive plan. English is not a language anyone speaks here, so I could be reasonably certain of no one reading it.

"I heard about what happened at Troiken, I can't imagine being in the same position, it seems unfortunate that there couldn't have been a less violent solution." Oh Maks, Gran are notably communally focused and even raised as a Jedi, she is the least violent out of all of us. It's unfortunate that she was born into an era about to be engulfed in war and destruction.

"That would be ideal, but what can you do with pirates and the like. Most of us made it out alive, and really it was only the lack of bacta that caused so many casualties." I'm ready for it this time and can avoid the memory of the dead woman. She's been popping up in odd places when I'm not paying attention to it.

There's nothing in the next structure, or the structure after that. I'm not surprised and neither is Maks really, again this is just something for us to do while the adults handle the expensive equipment. I'm fine with it, I prefer to just amble around aimlessly.

A gust of wind blows by and with it, a foreboding sense of unease that makes me shiver. Why am I shivering so much? Maks is fine, I can see her calm and steady, at least compared to me.

"Maks, how are you so calm, the Force is so hollow here it feels dead. I don't know how you stand it." There's something sticking out of the dirt and I crouch down to inspect it, grateful for any distraction from the oddness around me. Ah, it's just a piece of metal, nothing important really, probably a fragment of a building or a speeder or something like that.

"What feeling? I'm not getting anything. Everything is fine, what's wrong, what do you sense?" Really? I don't understand that, how can she not sense the death and decay here? I get that as a Miraluka my senses are inherently stronger but they can't be that much better, can they?

"It's this whole place, the tragedy that happened here still clings to everything from the air to the very ground we walk on. I can taste it, it's like that time we all dared each other to try a bowl of Master Yoda's special stew." Maks chuckles at the memory unpleasant as it is. It seems a rite of passage for every youngling to try it. It never ends well for anyone.

"You and Jang were stuck in the refresher for hours waiting for the convulsions to stop as I recall." I grimace, that was an unpleasant memory to say the least. We never thought to try that again.

"Yeah, you weren't looking so good either when it was all said and done, but you remember how the taste stayed with you for hours afterward, you couldn't eat or drink until it was gone it was so bad. It's the same for me, I'm not trying to sense anything but it lingers on my very being." She's silent for a moment, how depressing I must be, then a hand on my shoulder.

I offer her a small smile, her three eyestalks are slumped slightly, the Gran expression for sadness. Her mouth doesn't really move like a human on so frowning isn't much use to her. She's trying so hard to be comforting but she doesn't understand, she doesn't sense what I'm sensing.

I should probably talk to Master Tavik about this later, another Miralukan should understand what I'm going through.

"Thank you, Maks, I know. I'll be fine, I just need time to adjust to it all." I don't believe that for a moment, get Master Bnar back, get off this planet, never come back. Ossus? What's an Ossus, I've never heard of it. No, I'm quite content not going, thank you, have fun though.

Maks nods and hefts her pack higher on her shoulder. A good idea, we do have some more ground to cover, even if nothing's likely to come of it. I need the distraction, and so does Maks now that I think about it.

"So, while we search, why don't you tell me about the missions that you and Master Denia have been on." Maks takes the que for a subject change, whether she knows it or not, and happily begins to regale me of her own exciting adventures.

"Oh, well Master Denia and I went to the university of Agamar to attend a lecture on Jedi historiography during the New Sith Wars." Oh Maks, I would kill to attend that lecture, actually, brain make a note to ask Master Tavik to take us to one if the opportunity arises.

There's something here, there's a throbbing sensation in the back of my skull, we've been doing this for an hour and a half at the very least. There's an incline blocking our view of one of the larger ruins. I bet this is either Ood Bnar or a monster about to eat our face.

I'm not sure what would be better really.

Okay, this is very odd. The Force is a vortex here, swirling around almost like a torndo just beyond the incline. But the energy isn't moving past the incline. No wonder I didn't sense it until we got close, though that still doesn't explain why no other Jedi who has come here has sensed it. Hopefully Master Tavik can make an explanation that makes some sort of sense.

Though I suspect the answer to be something along the lines of, 'I have the cheat sheet to give me the answer', that doesn't make it much better though.

"Maks, do you sense that? You have to sense that, it's impossible that you can't." She frowns, or at least tries at it. Okay, yes! I'm not crazy.

"Yes, there is something, now that we're closer to the ruins I can sense it. It's odd, I didn't sense it before." I mean, Palpatine can hide his status as a Sith Lord from Jedi, would I be possible to draw in one's one presence in the Force to a localized area? It seems that some ingenious Force user has done so.

Like for example, a Neti Jedi Master whose true form is a tree and who went into hibernation to protect a trove of Jedi artifacts from Exar Kun.

"Alright, let's go back and get Master Tavik and Master Denia. They should see this as well." Maks nods and together we start the trek back to the camp. Okay, so how do I awaken Ood Bnar? I mean, in the comic he just sort of awakened when Luke and the others got near him. That explains exactly nada about how to go about doing it.

The presence of Jedi? No, it can't be that simple, there have been numerous Jedi who've come here to excavate the ruins over the past thousand years and none of them awakened him. So, how the hell am I going to do it? I have time to figure it out though, I just need to think.

Master Tavik and Master Denia are happy to see us, happier to take the emitter matrix we found and perplexed at our little encounter by the last ruin.

"It sounds like you have described a Force Nexus padawan, are you sure? I have been to Ossus three times and my Master before me went on an expedition. There has never been anything like what you described." Denia says, doubtfully.

Okay, that's interesting. This Nexus is a new thing? What could that mean, anything really, my knowledge of such things is minimal and much of the lore on Force Nexuses is stored in holocrons I haven't been able to access yet, pity.

"I don't know, Master Denia, my padawan and yours aren't really the type to play jokes. Perhaps they sensed something new." Master Tavik has my back, go team Miraluka. Denia s none too impressed by that.

The ay her presence in the Force twists, oh do they have a history together? Oh, this could be interesting to see play out. I sit back against the small stone slab that is my back rest and remain silent.

"Master Tavik, there have been dozens of Jedi led surveys on Ossus since the storms subsided and nothing like this has been reported." Maks is about to speak but I shush her quietly, no this isn't to be interrupted.

"That may be true, but this place hasn't been surveyed in eight years. Plenty of time for something to happen. Maybe it's a coalescence of Force energy leftover from the latent storms that rendered this planet inhospitable. It's still worth going to look at." Master Tavik is smiling too, oh he enjoys baiting her! I like this.

"Regardless, our priority here is to assist Doctor Turnell and his team in their excavation of the ruins, not to spend time studying what may well turn out to be nothing. We can look into this supposed Nexus after the excavation is done and if it turns out to be important then we will forward it to the Council." I wish I had popcorn, this argument isn't so amusing as to make ration cubes look edible.

"Oh, very well Denia, you are the Jedi in charge of this mission, we'll do it your way I suppose." The way his aura twitches I can tell his lie, granted he's not trying very hard to hide it from me. Denia's gaze is stern as she stares him before she sighs and leans back against her rock.

"Just try not to cause any trouble, I've never had any trouble on one of these excavations and I don't intend to have any now." Denia's gaze is firmly focused on Master Tavik, who is more amused than cowed.

"Is this about Arbooine? There was no way I could have predicted that the Sathari would take offense at the destruction caused by our bout with the pirates." Arbooine? I've never heard of that, or the Sathari. Master Denia is not amused and by the way her aura flares, it's not a happy memory.

"We spent six days on the run because of your carelessness. Six days, being hunted by the Sathari and the numerous predatory plants and animals that lived there." Maks hands me a cup of something, oh is that tea? Thank you Maks, you're so thoughtful. I turn to whisper to her, careful not to interrupt.

"This is awesome, what do you think their history is?" I take a sip of the tea, ooh it reminds me of chamomile, so relaxing. Maks shrugs and leans over to whisper back.

"I think they went on a lot of missions together when they were younger. I haven't heard about a mission to Arbooine but she told me he got them in trouble on Delantine when he accidentally insulted someone trying to speak their language." Ooh, I need to get that tale out of him at some point. Why haven't we had a mission as exciting as that, sounds like fun.

We sit there for a while, just listening to them talk and argue about one thing or another. It's clear they aren't really angry at each other, just arguing for the sake of it. This is nice, it's easy to forget the horror of this place or the dull throbbing emptiness in the back of my skull. I can hear Doctor Turnell talking with his assistants in the background, discussing best how to plan the survey and excavation.

It's so calm and quiet, it's hard not to drift off to sleep, I don't even notice when I fall asleep. My dreams are dreadfully silent, no nightmares, no dreaming of that woman, just blissful silence.

I'm almost disappointed when I wake, the lights are all out save for a small lantern, Master Tavik is beside me, leaning against a slab of rock. I don't even bother pretending to sleep, he knows I'm awake. I sit up, and oh my neck is sore. I should have gone to sleep in the tent we had set up.

"Couldn't sleep padawan? This place getting to you?" Straight to the point, nice, thank you Master Tavik. I shrug and stretch to ease my sore muscles.

"Yes, how do you handle this place? It's hollow, there's life here but it's so buried I can't sense it unless I put effort into it." Master Tavik leans back, gaze directed at the sky.

"It's something that you have to learn to live with as a Miraluka. Ossus is a wound in the Force, though an old one. What was done to this planet, the hundreds of Jedi who died here, their pain still screams into the Force, all Miraluka have to deal with extreme sensitivity to such things. I suspect anyplace like Ossus, or anywhere a great tragedy happened, you'll feel the same." That sucks, that really does. How many places in the galaxy are there that are going to make me feel dead inside to be around.

"So, how do you handle it, you're clearly more in control than I am?" He shrugs and sits up, turning his gaze towards me.

"You don't, not really, you learn to control your reaction, to suppress your discomfort behind your training but it will always haunt you. I've always found that meditation helps me push pas the discomfort." I smile and sit up, check my chrono, dawn is only an hour away. Not much point to going back to sleep.

"May I meditate with you, Master?" He returns my smile and nods. I shift to sit cross-legged and he does likewise. Together we slowly let go and drift off into the Force. Come the morning, I'll hopefully have a plan to awaken Ood Bnar.


	13. Book one: Part Ten

The next morning after breakfast, thankfully not ration cubes, we made our way to the ruins. Doctor Turnell spent the trek talking about the history of previous digs. They've found only six intact lightsabers, the parts for dozens more and oddly enough a single Holocron that managed to survive. Beyond that, the dig is mostly a chance for new archaeologists to get some experience.

Which seems reasonable I guess, let the newbies get a chance to move beyond their schooling while not risking any artifacts considered too delicate to handle. I think the meditation might have helped, the hollowness is still there, I can still feel it, but I'm calmer, more at peace now. Master Tavik walks beside me, the picture of confidence and assurance.

"Alright, padawans I need you to set up the sensors at the spots marked on your map. Once you've done that, place the transmitter on the highest point you can find here. Remember, the transmitter needs to be within one hundred meters of the sensors for it to work." I bow to Master Denia and nod to Maks who follows me as we depart.

Maks has the map since it means little to me, apparently Miraluka require special maps or depictions to read and it's just not practical for most companies to make them, considering the Miraluka tendency to stay home in Alpheridies. The datapads for the Temple tend to be Miraluka-friendly though and most of the texts that used to be only on flimsi and other means have been translated to datapad for quite some time.

"So, when we place the sensors, want to go check out that Force Nexus? Straight to the point, it's not like it was that much of a secret anyways. I think even Master Denia was aware of my intention if the look she gave me was any indication.

"I-what, no! You heard Master Denia and Master Tavik, we're to wait until the end of the survey before we get involved." Maks looks affronted that I would go against the orders they clearly weren't that concerned with me disregarding in the first place.

"Oh, come on, you felt that! It has to be something important, who knows what we might find." Ood Bnar most likely but she doesn't know that.

"And what if it's something dangerous, or something pointless and we go against our Masters for nothing?" I shrug, as Maks points out one of the sensor locations and I place the first sensor. Apparently, they're for sensing metals and other materials. Something about the dirt here seems to block sensors beyond a certain point down. Erosion has over the centuries uncovered a lot of the ruins, so each new dig the sensors can record a little more.

I really don't understand why they don't just raise funds for a serious excavation. I get that they like using this dig as training but come on, it shouldn't be that hard to get enough charitable donations to completely uncover the ruins. I'm sure there are plenty of Senators who would make the donation if only to look good to their constituents.

We fall silent for a time afterwards; our task basically boils down to me following Maks around and placing the sensors where she tells me. It's not a very mentally taxing assignment, so I've had time to think about things.

What do I want to do when I hit Knighthood, there isn't much I can think of to reveal Palpatine to the Order, anything I did he'd probably sense coming and his power is so far beyond contest that I know better than to bother.

Granted, I might be able to come up with a plan later, but I'm unsure what would cause that. There isn't much I can do right now to aid in the rearmament of the Republic, I have to trust that Ranulph is determined enough to keep at it.

Speaking of, I haven't heard much about Ranulph lately, he's been spending more time in Eriadu according to Coruscant news but he hasn't said what he's doing there. So maybe he's thinking about my idea. I hope so at least. The effects of a Republic Military before the Clone War period or at the very least an infrastructure to create one aren't very clear.

Ordinarily it would just point to a stronger Republic rearmament at some point or another, but I know what's coming, or what's supposed to be coming. But any changes I make by no means guarantee that the Palpatine won't organize a war to bleed the Jedi. I need to think about that more. In the meantime, I have to have something to do during the interim.

What would it be like to travel? I wonder if I could be like the wandering Jedi such as Master Fay or Nico Diath and spend time away from the Temple and helping people on my own terms. I could maybe even try to spend some time with other Force traditions and learn what they can teach.

I don't want to leave the Order though, I know that for a fact, I like this life. Even with their flaws the Order is the life I want right now, I don't really care about restrictions on romantic relationships, that's never been my thing anyways. I am sort of upset about the taking infants for training but that can be worked on, right?

Maks taps a hand on my shoulder, wait what? Oh, have we finished placing the sensors? My ability to just space out is impressive sometimes, it really is. I turn to Maks who is holding out a small transmitter about the size of a potted plant.

"We need to find a place to set this up for the sensors. See anything suitable?" The ruins around us aren't really that tall it seems. One of them might serve, but I seem to remember that the place we totally aren't supposed to go is one of the larger ruins and on the other side of an incline. It might serve, no harm in checking right.

"Not yet, but if we-ah where are you going!" Maks rushes to catch up with me as I head off back in the direction of where I'm sure Ood Bnar is. I haven't even seen the ruin in its entirety yet, never got close enough but I really don't care that much. I just want to see what the hell is going on over there.

"Why do I bother, you're going to do it anyways." Good on you Maks, you're learning well. She's following me now as we both jog towards the larger ruin. As we approach the familiar sensation of the Force nexus bubbles up in the back of my mind.

It's stronger today, and I don't know why, but I preserve and crest the incline to get a good look at the full structure. It's tall enough to serve for a transmitter, that's for sure. It looks like it's still half-buried, the only opening I can see looks like it's a window of some kind.

The dirt around it is shifting too. It's not a massive shift, but the way little bits of dirt are falling off of the ruin itself and the way the ground seems to be sloping makes me think it's eroding. So, is Ood Bnar buried under the dirt? That would complicate things wouldn't it, I'm not sure how to get him out.

So, how to do this? I suppose just jump to the top of the ruin and place the transmitter I guess. Okay, the roof isn't that far up, gather the Force around me, jump and let the Force extend my leap. Okay, angle my descent to the roof and the Force softens my landing.

I always wondered how Jedi could jump so far and stick the landing without being hurt, but apparently, it's all the Force, thank you Force, I don't want broken legs. Alright, the transmitter is in my backpack and if I remember, these things are super simple to place.

Place the transmitter on the roof and press the power button. The transmitter is tied to the sensors placed around the site. It'll take the data from the sensors and convert it into a form that can be read by the datapads everyone has. The transmitter whirs to life and I check my datapad. Okay, the sensor data is starting to come in though I can't make heads or tails of it.

I stand up and turn to look at Maks, she's on the ground, didn't jump up with me and I wave to her.

"Transmitter's set up, we're good to go!" I shout down and I see her wave back to me.

"Alright Viera, now come on, we need to go back and meet up with Master Denia and Master Tavik." She yells back and I sigh, so straight-laced and rule following. Not necessarily a bad thing, but I want to find Ood Bnar. I know he's here, he has to be, there' s nowhere else for him to be.

The roof beneath me cracks and I tense, what? And then the roof gives out under me, fuck! I'm falling through and the impact on the ground hurts a lot. Okay, pain everywhere, I can feel all my extremities and nothing seems to be broken but I'm sore all over. Damned unstable infrastructure!

"Viera! Viera! Are you okay, answer me!" I can hear Maks shouting for me and I groan and try to sit up, the wind is knocked out of me though.

"I'm okay, I think, just sore. The roof came out from under me!" There's something shifting under me, what now!

Oh, right, eroding ground and I'm falling backwards? The dirt I'm sitting on is crumbling to what? Okay, get up, don't fall down the slowly growing hole. Ignore the pain, get to the window. I draw the Force to me and try to spring myself in a short leap to the window. Out the window I go and I hit the ground hard.

Okay, more pain but at least I'm not falling again, what even happened there anyways? I take a cautious step towards the window and look in. I can hear Maks coming up behind me. Okay inside, it seems like the dirt floor has eroded away, or rather the impact from me hitting it caused some of the packed dirt to come loose and flow down into whatever structure this is.

What's that? I can see stone at the bottom of the hole. It looks like whatever structure this is, the interior is pretty big and not completely filled by dirt. Okay, I reach into my pack and grab the rebreather given to every Jedi, can't be too careful.

"Viera! What happened, are you okay?" I give her a thumbs up and step back into the window, okay it looks like I can slide down the hole and into the chamber. I'm Lara Croft, how nice.

"I'm fine, I want to check this out, feel free to come along or go back to let Master Tavik know." And with that I'm already sliding down the hole before an argument can start. I'm sliding, this is pretty fun actually.

Alright, where am I?

The chamber I'm in is mostly stone of some sort, don't know what, it could be marble for all I know but it's big. And, oh my, it looks like that structure was one of many structures, or wait is this some kind of garden? There seems to be what looks like dead plants everywhere.

I start walking aimlessly into the structure, I can hear Maks sliding down and rushing up behind me, she stops to marvel at the buried garden

"What is this place, it was buried under all that dirt?" I shrug, I don't know what this place is, I can't really call it Ood Bnar's resting place, hopefully. I reach into my pack and grab the flashlight type device all Jedi are given for this mission. I don't really need it but Maks could use the extra light I suppose. Maks turns her own flashlight on and I think we'll be good for finding our way.

And where is the Best Tree hiding, how many trees are here? Answer, a lot of them now that I look closely. Many of them are rotted to the core and piles of bark, but some are dead and still standing. Okay, which one is the right one? Do I just knock on each of them and hope for an answer?

Knock knock, are you there Ood? It's me Viera.

There's a tugging sensation at the back of my mind, okay what? The Force is telling me something, or rather telling me I need to go somewhere. Alright, why not, I start walking in the direction I'm being tugged.

"Ah, where are you going?" Maks asks and I shrug, as if I know where I'm going, I never really do.

"No idea, the Force is telling me to go this way, I think, so why not follow." She follows after me as we walk through the dead garden. There are…..bones here and there, I wonder who from. A Jedi or one of Exar Kun's Massassi Warriors. Doesn't really matter really though I take care to step over or around them, the Council of First Knowledge will want whatever's left for analysis.

Okay, I think I can see where this is going, there's a tree further in that is still standing and looks noticeably not rotten. It's also where the vortex of Force energy saturating this place is coming from. Or rather, it's a conduit through which the Force is coming out of the planet through him and into the air around us then back into him and into the planet. It's like a mystical feedback loop, why though, I don't understand the purpose of it.

But this is Ood Bnar for sure. I reach out to the tree, just touching the 'wood' gently. AH! I yank my hand back, it was like getting the nastiest static shock ever. It's not electricity though, is it pure Force energy? He's so surrounded and permeated by the Force that it hurts to touch him. The moment I do, that energy tries to go into me and that is not at all a good feeling.

"What, what is this?" Maks whispers behind me, so she can sense it as well. How not, this thing is intense. Alright, I don't know how to wake him up, so do what we always do when we don't know the solution.

Meditate.

I take a seat and adopt a meditative pose, alright so breathe in and breathe out. Let all the anxieties and worries go, let them fade away like morning dew in the face of the sun's rays. The Force answers my call all too easily, flowing through me easily in the face of the Nexus around me.

Breathe in, and breathe out. The sun moves slowly but inexorably onwards on its path and I am drifting in it's wake, pulled by its gravity and warmed by its gaze. My skin is tingly and warm and the soothing sensation lulls me into a daze, I breathe in and stretch out my focus to Ood Bnar. The response is telling, there's something there! It's like tossing a rock into a pond, the ripples are spreading out through the Tree and the Force.

It's grasping and pulling, the Force drawing me in, I relax and allow myself to be drawn into it. And then all at once, everything changes around me.

"Oh, now who do we have here? What brings you here little one?" A new voice? It's not Maks, I reluctantly broaden my focus to my surroundings. The Garden is beautiful with verdant trees and plants and other things. The walls are of a brilliant, gleaming stone and on the roof a holoprojector displays a glorious artificial sky.

Ah man, not again, I feel so disturbed by how easy I slip into these lucid visions. I really hope this doesn't become a trend. Oh, and Ood Bnar is here too.

The wizened Neti Jedi Master is standing over me, a cane of some sort in his hand, his Jedi robes are simple and austere but he carries an aura of dignity and peace that give him a grandeur I envy. His face, such as it is, is in the form of a smile, as close as he can come to such a thing.

"Such a curious padawan, to find my resting place and interrupt an old Jedi's rest." Oh, I should probably speak to him, shouldn't I?

"Ah, Master Bnar! I'm sorry for disturbing your rest, I just wanted to wake you up, you've been here for thousands of years!" Ood Bnar chuckles, he's like an ent that way.

"You know of me? It seems my exploits have been remembered for quite some time. Though I never asked for such trappings. I am always content to serve the Force and galaxy at large." He takes a seat next to me on the ground and I shift uncomfortably, what do I do here?

"Well, when I went to Ilum to construct my lightsaber, I had a vision in the caves and it was of you, in the form of a tree here on Ossus, so when I found you here, what else was I to do?" He considers my words for a long moment.

"Is that so? Well if the Force guided you here, it must have been for a good reason. Tell me, do you know why I am a tree?" He says quietly, around us the room begins to shake.

"A supernova, or some Sith Magic, struck Ossus and you turned into a tree to survive it?" That's not quite the true story but I don't know that.

"Hm, close, my old student Exar Kun had fallen to the Dark Side and was raiding the Library for whatever artifacts he could acquire. I turned into the tree to protect them from his grasp, the fact that it allowed me to survive Ossus's destruction, but it was not without cost." Around us the scene shifts, Ossus is burning, great gouts of fire spreading across the land and the sky is a storm that blocks out the sky, lighting and other things I don't understand flashing across the sky.

There are Jedi, screaming in pain, their death wails are chilling as they burn or are struck down by lightning or falling debris. I guess, the Ysanna didn't survive in this timeline, that's a shame but them surviving on a dead world never did make a lot of sense, or any sense really.

"What cost, Master Bnar? You seem to be pretty alive right now?" This, might give me a clue on how to save him, hopefully, maybe.

"The Force saved me, but it taxed me heavily. I became comatose from exhaustion and only awoke nearly a thousand years ago. I have been using the Force within the planet and the surroundings to nourish myself since, but I am still too weak to return to my old form, if I were to become myself again I would die." Okay, that's not good, so I'm not going to save him, not now at least. But ah, there's an idea.

"The Jedi Temple on Coruscant has plenty of healers who could help you? I'm sure they could figure out a way to help you survive." He nods slowly, waving a hand as the scene begins to shift again.

"I'm sure they could, it will take time though and perhaps that is what the Force wished for you when it gave you that vision, to inform the Council of my plight. That isn't what you wanted though, is it?" I shake my head, no point denying it.

"Yes, I had hoped to save you now, a Jedi from thousands of years ago, there's so much you could teach, so much we could learn" I can't really think of a way for Ood Bnar to help stop what's coming beyond being an extra Jedi Master but who knows. It'd still be nice to have him back.

"I can see, admirable of you but I will not awaken fully, not yet. In the interim though, a benefit of being so thoroughly connected to the planet is that I know where a trove of intact Jedi artifacts is stored. In addition to the trove I am protecting beneath me, this I can do."

The scene has shifted now, to what I assume is Ossus right now, destroyed and desolate everything. But I can see the ruins in the distance, ah so that's where we are. Master Bnar starts walking away from the ruins and I follow him closely, we go for what seems a long roundabout path and to a large ridge. There's a crack in the side, barely big enough for both of us to slip through, but I manage it. And inside is a remarkably well-preserved library.

And by well-preserved, I mean that there is dirt everywhere, a collapsed roof and wall, but there are still containers and bookshelves standing, intact scrolls and tomes and more. Okay, this is nice, go me and go Master Bnar.

"I can shift myself enough to give you access to the artifacts beneath me but little else. I trust you to see to the library and reporting this to the Council." Master Bnar turns to face me, leaning on the rock around us and I bow respectfully.

"Of course, Master Bnar, I promise not to let you down, thank you for your gift." He nods solemnly and extends his wooden hand to poke me.

"Good, now awaken." And like that consciousness returns to me. I'm back in the ruins and Maks is shaking me. She looks worried, and oh, Master Denia and Master Tavik. When did you get here?

"Padawan, are you alright?" Master Tavik puts his hand on my shoulder as I try to stand. What's going on? How long was I out?

The confusion must show on my face because he sighs and shakes his head.

"You've been here for a full day Padawan, nothing we did could wake you, I was about ready to call the Council for help." He reaches into his pack and pulls out a bottle of some sort of liquid and a pack of ration cubes, I am hungry actually, even ration cubes will do I suppose.

I take the offered food and drink eagerly, so I was out for a day? Force Nexuses man, they'll surprise you. Now how to explain this to everyone, I take the opportunity of eating and drinking to come up with a good answer as to what I was doing.

"Well, I found out what my vision on Ilum was about." Throw out the biggest deflection first. Master Tavik's face softens, he's on my side predictably and Maks and Denia are looking a bit curious now.

"Is that so, and what have you discovered?" I open my mouth to explain but there's a creaking sound behind me, Ood Bnar's tree form is twisting and shifting ever so slightly, the roots are moving place, revealing a hollow space beneath them.

Ah, thank you Master Bnar, I reach into the now open hole and grasp the first thing I can get. It's a handle, no it's an ancient lightsaber, how sweet. I heft the saber and press the activation switch, pointing the end away from anyone else.

A snap-hiss and the blade comes to life before me. The thrum of the blade echoing in the ruin, so it still works, sweet. I clip it to my belt, because why not and I feel like that's appropriate before reaching back into the hole.

There's a lot more ancient lightsabers in there and I start handing them to Master Denia and Master Tavik. Maks is jotting down notes dutifully, good on her. And oh goodness gracious me, there's a Holocron in here. A single glorious square-shaped Holocron. I hand that off to Master Denia carefully and she takes it gently.

This time, as I stand, Master Tavik does not try to stop me, maybe he's just a little shocked and unsure of what to do. I offer him a smile.

"Master, do I have a story for you."


	14. Interlude III

His office was a mess, or as much of a mess as he ever let it be. His desk was a mess of datapads, reports, news articles and records of communiques from the last two weeks. The bottle of Corellian Whiskey had five empty siblings on the desk and floor around him. Idly he rubbed his chin, noting the unshaven stubble that had been growing there.

Ruined, he had been ruined, the disaster at Troiken had taken everything from him, once he was at the top of the Militarist faction, now his fellows had begun to challenge him in ways they'd never have dreamed of before. He had been subjected to ridicule and a witchhunt by the press ever since he had made his return to Coruscant.

Militarists saved by Jedi intervention. He was nothing more than a laughingstock, a 'crazed vigilante who needed to be brought to heel'. The humiliation burned away at him, the constant press of reporters asking him about his 'disastrous decisions' at Troiken and the lives he'd lost there. Fools, the lot of them! He had no way to predict Stark's foreknowledge of his attack and he'd immediately done what he could to evacuate his ships once defeat became inevitable.

Even back on Eriadu he'd found little support from his own family. Oh, they were subtle and their concern was well faked but he knew them well enough. Shayla and Willhuf had not ceased making their subtle hints that he should retire and let them take over the Tarkin name. He'd shut them down on that front easily enough.

But now he didn't know what to do, so he'd just opened the cellar set down by his grandfather and busied himself drinking himself into a stupor. He felt like having a drink now, he was still unfortunately sober.

A knock and then his door opened, Jace Dallin entering the room. Ranulph sighed and leaned back in his chair.

"What do you want, Jace, just leave me to drink." Jace had been continuously pestering him to get back into it, he still had a small core of his force left. Those who had just been scattered by the virus instead of destroyed. Jace had been busy organizing them as well as performing other matters.

"Senator Tarkin sir, I have something for you." Jace held out a datapad and reluctantly Ranulph took it, reading over it slowly.

"You contacted Rendili Stardrive?" There were negotiation details over ship production? He frowned, trying to remember before his mood soured further and he dropped the datapad onto his already cluttered desk.

"So, you've been conned by that Jedi girl too? I don't want anything to do with this Jace." That girl, he'd gotten her name, Viera Sarat. She'd humiliated him, offering up that 'suggestion' as if his own plan was feeble and he needed her help.

Now she'd gotten his own aide to fall for her schemes.

"I brought up the suggestion of modernized Hammerhead and Valor cruisers, the Aureks too. They're willing to offer us a deal for them. They're offering thirty percent off for nine Hammerheads and a Valor." Ranulph paused for a moment, that was a considerable deal, given what the probably price for those ships would be.

"And why would I want ten cruisers from Rendili? I was doing just fine before she came along and treated me like some damned fool boy in need of instruction." Jace's facial expression didn't change, he just stared at Ranulph.

"You were sir, and I still believe you can, but we've lost the support of the other Militarists after Troiken. We need something to win back their trust and build our support again. This is the best option." The truth burned at him, damn him, and damn her. All his political support was gone, his friends had abandoned him, only Jace was still loyal. Unperturbed by Ranulph's silence, Jace pressed on.

"The troops are still invested, I've run the idea by some of the senior commanders and they approve of the plan. I've sent out recruiters to a number of worlds looking for anyone willing to sign up and I've started some quiet inquiries into the pirate situation in Landor."

"Do I have another option at this point Jace?" It seemed like he'd lost everything, all his plans to rearm the Republic and bring safety and security to the Republic and Outer Rim were going up in flames, and all he had left to him was an optimistic plan from some padawan who he hardly knew if he could trust.

"Not much of one sir, but if this works you'll reestablish your credibility with the Militarists and we can work forward from there. We all still believe in your vision for the Republic, we're proud to be your soldiers, General." Jace snapped a quick salute and Ranulph had to laugh, Jace truly was the only man he could rely on. He considered the bottle in his hand for a long moment.

Did he have any other option, was it worth it to go on the word of a child? Even if she was a padawan. But the real question was if he was prepared to sink into obscurity and give up, let Shayla and Willhuf take over the family headship. Was it worth it to abandon his dream of a new Republic Military and a safe and prosperous Outer Rim?

No, it was no question at all, no one else wanted to save the Republic for anything other than their own ambition and greed. He certainly couldn't trust Aks Moe or Golfhan to guide the Militarists down a good path. He set the bottle of whiskey back onto his desk gently and picked up the datapad from Rendili to look it over more thoroughly.

The price tag was hefty, but he could pay for it. He'd need time to train up new crew and new troops but there was a core of experienced men he could use to train their fellows.

"Jace." He said after a moment to think, "Tell Rendili Stardrive we accept their offer, get me those inquiries into Landor, make sure those recruiters hit Shili and Iridonia, and one more thing. Get me a record of every Senatorial election on Ryloth in the last fifteen years, I need the name of every candidate who opposed Taa and their campaign." Jace saluted and made to leave before stopping as if he'd just remembered something.

He turned around and walked back towards Ranulph, handing over a second datapad.

"One more thing, sir. I received a message from a Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas and Jedi Master Dooku for you. They asked to speak with you at your convenience." Ranulph took the datapad and frowned.

"He knew of Dooku by reputation, plenty of Senators did, his presence in the Senate was regular enough that he was a familiar face.

It couldn't hurt to hear him out.

He'd have to shave first though.


	15. Book one: Part eleven

"So, Viera, tell me how exactly this is supposed to work?" I've got the rest of the 'Padawan Pack', and hasn't that become a term every Knight and Master has come to know, in one of the larger Temple courtyards. It's been almost a year since Ossus and this is the first time we've all been together in a long time.

Master Tavik is busy with something or other, I'm not exactly sure, he just told me to go train or do something for the day. I imagine he probably meant for me to take a day off, and so I am.

"Alright, so I've got some a little sack filled with dirt and what we're going to do is play a little game. Everyone form a circle." Jang and Ilena take position to the left and right of me while the others finish the circle. Zey's looking much happier now than he was before, apparently spending time with Master Kon Ray has done wonders for him.

"How is this training?" Jai stretches out his burnt fingers, he had a nasty encounter on his last mission and burnt some of his fingers. This will make things difficult for him, only Pollitrix knows the full story and she has refused to tell us. That can only mean it's hilarious.

"Good question Jai, on Troiken I had the nifty idea of using the Force to throw grenades farther than normally possible. I tried to show Obi-Wan and Vos how to do it and it worked eventually." I heft the bag of sand a few times before using the Force to toss it towards Pol, who's taken position to Jai's left. She catches the bag and nods slowly.

"So, you want to show us how to do the same thing." Pol mirrors me and uses the Force to toss the bag back to me and I shake my head. I know they can do that, it'd be pointless to show them how to do something they could already do.

"No, I want to show you how to use the Force to throw it farther. Similar but different, everyone back up, make the circle bigger." They all comply and pretty soon we've created a sizable circle in the courtyard, each of us too far to simply through this bag of dirt to each other without assistance. Assistance the Force can give.

"Okay, the rules are simple, you can't throw it to anyone to your immediate left or right and you'll need to use the Force to extend its momentum." I have to yell a little so they hear me but I get the sense that they've got the gist of the rules.

I give the bag a quick heft and toss it to Jai, giving it a push midway and guiding it down towards him. Jai catches it easily enough but frowns, trying to decide who to throw it to and how to do it. After a moment, he takes it and throws it at Ilena. I can see him try to do as I did but he comes up a bit short and it lands a good five feet in front of her.

There's a moment of silence before he sighs and waves his hand, the bag slides forward to Ilena's foot. She takes the bag and considers a moment, seems she's not keen on a repeat of Jai's performance. Oh Jai, I could make an impotence joke here but I won't.

"Sorry Jai! Show them how it's done Ilena!" Jang yells encouraging words next to me and as Ilena tosses the bag to Zey I let myself zone out a little as I reflect.

After Ossus the Council dispatched a team of healers to the ruins to see to Ood Bnar, they brought with them the Healing Crystals of Fire and within a week Ood Bnar was brought to the Temple. Granted, I haven't seen the Jedi Master since then due to my own missions and the Council of First Knowledge practically kidnapping him.

Master Nu's face when presented with Ood Bnar's Holocron and being informed that he had survived on Ossus was the happiest I've ever seen her. I almost worried she might have a heart attack the poor woman. From what I've heard since, he's almost guaranteed the next seat on the Council of First Knowledge should he choose to accept and he's supposed to be giving a lecture to the Jedi educorps in a few months.

In other news related to our Ossus trip, they let me keep the ancient lightsaber I picked up and I have had to tentatively drop my objections to learning Niman since it's the basis for learning Jar'Kai. Though my training in that has been slow, turns out trying to use two lightsabers at once takes a lot of arm strength I don't have, yet. I'll get there eventually but for now it's just been the basics with Master Tavik.

In between training at the Temple, Master Tavik and I have been off on missions all the way from Port Haven and Ession to Abregado-Rae and Kuat. Thank the Force the craziness of the Stark War was just a one-time thing, for now. Most of these missions turned out to be relatively simple, bringing in criminals, acting as envoys for the Senate, local disputes and otherwise standing around and looking pretty for diplomatic and ceremonial functions on behalf of the Republic. The diplomatic functions are the best, all that free food. And hey, only one of those missions has required me to draw my lightsaber, and even then, just for intimidation.

In other, exciting news, Rendili has unveiled its new design. Ranulph use my idea, they're modernizing the Hammerhead and Valor cruisers! Now to see how that plays out, I can't really predict how this could affect anything until its put into practice. I've seen some news groups speculating on what he's been but with no concrete answers, he certainly hasn't been holding any press conferences.

The sack comes back towards me and I take a moment to catch it and send it on its way to Pollitrix. I faintly hear Jang shout something positive, I'm not exactly sure. The crowd in the courtyard seems to have increased as well. I can see more padawans, some knights and even a few masters. Is what we're doing really that interesting?

Slow week I guess.

The bag sails into the air again only to pause midway, huh? Jang looks adorably confused as to why her toss has stopped, I'm not holding it in the air, she's not holding it in the air and I don't think any of the others are either.

"hmmhmm, my little padawans playing a game, are we?" Master Yoda steps forward, walking into our circle, leaning on the cane I know he doesn't really need. He stops in the middle and leans on his cane, smiling at all of us. Oh, so that was why they were all watching, Yoda's showed up.

"A game, Yoda may play too I hope?" the sack floats down into his hands and he looks between us with clear amusement in his face. It's sad knowing that this joy will eventually fade during the war. Jang smiles, practically bouncing in place, still so full of energy that I worry she might explode.

"Of course, you can, Master Yoda, Viera's shown us how to play." Yoda turns his gaze towards me, he walks over to me and I find it amusing that even in the middle of puberty I'm significantly taller than him. Force, I hate going through puberty again, I already did this once damnit.

"This game, explain it, will you?" he says and raps his walking stick against the courtyard. I bow lightly in respect, honestly, it's just become a habit now and for the Grandmaster of the Order it's sort of required in my mind

"Of course, Master Yoda, it's a very simple game. There's no real goal but the idea is to toss the sack of dirt to another person in the circle by using the Force to extend its arc and guide its descent." It's not a necessarily complicated game though actually doing it seems to be harder for the others than for me.

Yoda nods and with barely a hint of effort the bag of dirt sails into his hand and he steps back, looking for a spot in the circle. Jang takes note and waves her hands wildly in his direction.

"Master Yoda! Over here, by me!" Yoda chuckles and ambles on over, waving his cane at her as he takes his place beside her. Jang chuckles and remains lightly bouncing in place. Amazingly, puberty has only given her more energy.

From there the game goes on, Yoda's throws are flawless in every way and show just how far I have to go before I'm even on the level of a Knight. Midway through though, Yoda gets his own ideas and the game rapidly begins to change.

It starts when Yoda stops the sack mid-flight and starts circling it in the air above us. Then it sails down towards Ilena who tries to catch it and fails miserably, the sack continues onwards flying around and resisting all attempts to catch it.

And attempt it we do, Jang breaks ranks first, running after the sack and trying at grabbing it, only for Yoda to elude her every strike. Ilena and Jai join in next and soon enough we're all chasing a sack of dirt around a courtyard as Yoda plucks it just out of reach. Yoda's verbal encouragement only egging everyone on as they try and fail to grab a sack of dirt.

"Grab it with the Force, we can't catch it otherwise!" Of course, Ilena, trying to wrest control of the sack from Yoda's grip is a perfect idea.

That goes not nearly as well as we'd have liked as grabbing it requires wresting it from Yoda's grip, which is difficult if not impossible. He relaxes his grip just enough to let one of us grab it before he takes it back with no warning.

Eventually it's Pollitrix who has the idea for all of us to work together to grab the sack and get it back. There is of course, nothing we can do to keep Yoda from grabbing it anyways and working together wouldn't change that but Yoda seems to relent and allow us to have our victory. And then it becomes all of us working together against Yoda for the sake of a sack of dirt. Silly but fun and relaxing in its own way.

The sun is setting by the time we're all too tired to keep going, I'm breathing heavily, laying on my back and just catching my breath. It's hard enough to run around chasing a small object, even more so when you're laughing at all your friends falling and failing in their attempt and I'm sadly stuck here for now.

Jang is nudging me, why can she still stand, trying to get me to stand up and I wave her off.

"I'm too tired, I'll catch up to you later Jang." She nods and rushes off to the others.

"We'll see you inside Viera, Poll's brewing tea for everyone!" Ooh, I love her tea, I don't know how she does it but she has a secret recipe or something. I can hear them all making their way inside, gosh I'm lazy, and for a blissful moment there is just the quiet and me catching my breath.

I'm trying to think of anything significant happening in the next few years and I'm coming up with nothing, we've got a few years before any of the significant events happen. And that's if they happen, I'm not sure if Ranulph can cause any significant change before Naboo, but who knows. I feel like I'm rapidly approaching the point where divergence makes my pre-knowledge inaccurate.

There's a rapping of wood on stone beside me and I turn my focus to Yoda who is standing above me, looking down. I wave a hand limply at him.

"Master Yoda, can I help you?" He hums thoughtfully and takes a cross-legged seat next to me, okay? I'm a little confused.

"Thank you, I did not, for rescuing Master Bnar. A knowledgeable and wise Master, his presence imparts wisdom long lost to the Order" Ah, so it's for that, is it? Ah well, I can't imagine not trying to rescue him, especially since I knew he was there.

"It's like I told you back in the Room of a Thousand Fountains before Troiken. I thought the vision I had on Ilum was of Ossus and a tree in what looked like a courtyard. When the time came, I just had to trust the Force to show me what needed to be done." I mean, I knew what to do as well, but when I did get there, the Force did seem to push and prod me in the direction of Bnar himself, I've gotten pretty lucky with that I think.

"Good it is, that trust the Force so easily you do. A lesson, every Jedi in time must learn. Still, know an important question every Jedi must always ask do you?" I don't, but I'm willing to listen. Yoda wisdom is best wisdom I imagine.

"No, Master Yoda, I do not. What question should I be asking?" Yoda smiles and pokes my forehead with his walking stick, ok that doesn't hurt but why did you do that?

"Always ask yourself, who am I? Do this and aid you in your trials it shall." Who am I? Okay, I'm Viera Sarat, what's the lesson here and why is it important. Yoda seems to understand my confusion because he laughs and peers down at me.

"Think Yoda foolish, do you? An easy answer you will not find. Viera Sarat, you may say, when asking that question but who is that? A label it is, but you are not a label." Oh, so it's going to be one of these then, alright I do want to see where he's going with this. Alright, who am I?

"Alright, then I'm a padawan of the Jedi Order and a Miraluka whose name is Viera Sarat." Again, he hums thoughtfully and shakes his head.

"Another label these are, exist did you not, before becoming a padawan? Cease to exist, would you, should you no longer be a padawan. Who are you, padawan?" Alright, consider the question who am I? Cast aside the labels and what's left?

I've experienced a great many things but am I the sum of my experiences? Back, where I came from before, I had been a firm atheist and that me would certainly have answered along the lines of yes. But here, there may or may not be gods but there is the Force. So no, I'm not the sum of my experiences, okay but if I strip away the things I label myself and the experiences I've had then what's left?

And then the answer becomes too obvious and I groan for not getting it immediately, I chuckle at my own ignorance and smile.

"Is the answer, me? I'm me, I can't really be anything else." Yoda smiles and stands up, a moment and I feel myself lifted up by the Force. My legs are still a bit sore and shaky but I can stand well enough to walk.

"Correct and your ally is the Force just as it is mine, luminous beings are we, not this crude flesh. Labels, our flesh, distractions they are. Let go you must, only free of these distractions can you see clearly the path you must take." Alright, so I think I understand the basic idea related to detachment. Granted, I don't understand as much as I feel I should to make it effective but it's a start. I remember that the Jedi philosophy is a mix of a lot of things, this sounds rather zen though.

And again, this is the thing with this place, the spiritual is real here so this actually means something practically for me. I need to remember that more often, but Master Tavik tends toward more practical things though.

"Thank you, Master Yoda, I promise I'll do what I can to remember that." Okay, my legs aren't screaming at me in pain so I think I'm good to walk. Master Yoda starts walking towards the Temple and I watch him go.

"Remember this lesson padawan, watching I am." I will, and man, he's watching me? I'm flattered, truly, that he thinks I'm worth watching. Alright, time to head inside, relax and have some tea.

The next morning, my datapad pings just as I finish dressing. Master Tavik has a mission, I'm needed to the hanger immediately. Alright, must be something urgent then. I grab my lightsabers and gear and take off for the hanger.

Master Tavik is waiting for me in the hanger, his own pack in hand and talking with some of the Temple technicians in front of a relatively plain Senate-class freighter. He waves me over and pockets a datapad from a nearby crate.

"Padawan, good morning, we've got a mission from the Council, the information came in last night and needs to be acted on immediately." He heads for the ramp and I follow, alright sounds like trouble again.

He's already priming the ship for launch, I take the co-pilots seat and begin running the system check to make sure we're ready to go. The Temple technicians probably did that already but Master Tavik did always say it was a good habit to get into.

"So, Master, what kind of mission is this? It must be something important if we're going to this much trouble to get going." He takes the pilots seat and the engines hum with power.

"We're going to Dioll, an Outer Rim planet. We just got some intelligence on a base on the planet run by the Karazak Slavers Cooperative. They just received a batch of prisoners, one of them is apparently a VIP though we don't know who. We don't know how long they'll stay there before being moved on. You and I are going to get in there and rescue them." Wow, fighting slavers, awesome.

"And the two of us are going to break into the base, deal with the slavers and rescue the prisoners all on our own?" The ship lifts off and we're already heading out into the Coruscant sky.

"The Judicial Forces have two Corellian Corvettes near system, when we land, we'll send them a signal and they'll jump in system to offer us aid." I nod and settle in, bringing up the data on Dioll.

Here we go.


	16. Book one: Part Twelve

The rock under my hand cracks off the wall and I muffle a curse, reaching for a new handhold. Dioll's rocky, fog-covered surface makes traveling difficult for most. With thick fog and sudden drops into deadly ravines and crevices no one in their right mind would travel on foot.

Unless you're a Miraluka who doesn't care about silly things like light or fog and can see perfectly regardless. I guess that would explain why Master Tavik and I were considered so crucial for this mission, we can sneak up on the slavers without having to worry.

We landed at Dioll spaceport, and wasn't that the most creative name for a capital city, about two hours ago. Master Tavik had disguises prepared for us alongside some other goodies and I am currently loving the hide jacket. All of those pockets are awesome. A pity I probably won't be able to keep this outfit past the mission.

We've covered at least thirty kilometers since, mostly by using Force assisted jumps to cover the most ground. But now that we're getting close to the base we've had to switch to a slow trek, and in this case climbing up a rocky cliff face.

"So, Master, I get how the fog will protect us from visuals but they have to have thermal or motion detectors right?" Master Tavik is above me and is moving deftly from one rock to the other. Alright, he knows what he's doing, so follow him I guess.

"Dioll has a number of predators that are close enough in size to us and the Diollans often send out hunting parties into these ravines as rites of initiation for their young warriors or for hunting. If they do pick us up it's likely they'll assume we're part of a Diollan hunting party.

Okay, and I guess that's probably why we have vibroblades on our backs. A thermal camera spotting a suspiciously sword-like heat signature might set off some flags for our slavers. I pull myself up and over the top of the rock formation and take a moment to catch my breath.

"So, we're going to just go in and fight our way through the facility and just hope the Judicial forces get here in time to support us before we die?" How are we going to do this? I mean, I've gotten pretty good at deflecting blasters but what if they have heavy repeaters or grenades.

Ooh, I hope they have grenades, I want more grenades to play with.

"We'll be bypassing a lot of them on our way in, we got a schematic of the base with our intel and apparently part of the facility is underground, the prisoners are kept there. We'll be going around the above-ground portion of the facility." How are we going to bypass it, I don't understand how that makes sense?

It would help if I had the schematic for this base to look at, but Master Tavik has the schematics and has not shown them to me. I'm a little annoyed about that but we do have to move fast and it's not that critical so whatever.

"The base is on the other side of this rock formation, there's a long ravine with another, giant formation where the base is located." That's, not an inconsiderate distance away, but okay sure. It's for a good cause so what does it matter.

"Right, and then when we get there we signal our reinforcements to come in?" I can see him nod and start climbing down the other side of the cliff face, ugh I hate heights.

"Correct, by the time we get in and find the prisoners, the corvettes should be in system and entering the atmosphere. They'll block the slavers from escaping and shuttle down reinforcements to us." I follow Master Tavik and start the long, slow descent. This is terrifying and I hate it, why couldn't we have just flown in closer and set down.

"Trust in the Force, padawan, it will guide you down." I sigh and breathe in and out, alright just don't look down and you'll be fine, right? Great start to the mission, falling to your doom. The climb is silent from there on as we descend as carefully as we can.

Rescuing slaves, this is what I've always felt the Jedi should be doing, alongside helping out with local matters we should be spending more time in the Outer Rim bringing down pirates and slavers. Random acts of kindness people.

And granted, the Jedi do that, we're doing it right now but I can't help but feel we should be doing it more. One of the problems of the Order that was widely obvious in the movies and books was that the Jedi were involved in politics, too involved with the Senate and enforcement. The lack of a military certainly didn't help but all relying on the Jedi did was let the Judicial forces become complacent and inefficient.

Why focus too much on training when the Jedi can solve any problem. Ranulph's own forces will do well to offset that, assuming he succeeds. Just have to make sure Sidious doesn't do anything to stop him, though I've no idea if I can even manage that.

How do I stop Sidious's political machinations? I've had time to think about it but the hell am I supposed to do? I'm just going to have to wait for an opportunity to reveal itself I suppose.

"Padawan, do you remember what I told you, after I first took you as my padawan learner? I asked you about your interest in the Luka Sene and other organizations?" I place a foot down experimentally and after finding a good foothold I lower myself down a little more. Do I remember? Vaguely yes, I also seem to remember an optimistic response.

"You mean the Matukai? Yeah, I remember that, what about it Master?" I can see him farther below me, moving deftly down the rock. He's rather good at this, I wonder why.

"Well, I've talked to the Council and they've agreed to debate letting the two of us go spend some time with them on Karvos II, should the Matukai themselves agree." Really! Awesome, that's the most amazing thing I've heard in the last six months.

I've been getting better at the Luka Sene techniques Master Tavik has been teaching me but out of all the myriad Force organizations out there, the Matukai benefits are probably the best on balance.

"That's awesome, so when can we expect a response from them?" I can see the ground getting closer, though the distance is a bit harder to judge. So, we just get down to the bottom of this ravine and trek to the base, no more climbing necessary I hope.

"No idea, they told me this a few weeks ago so it could be anytime now. Who knows, maybe when we get back from this they'll have an answer." Master Tavik lets go of the rock and kicks off, flipping and landing safely on the ground. Okay, is that a cue for me to do so, we're close enough that it's safe to do that, or?

Ah well, might as well follow suit. I brace myself and kick off the wall, allowing the Force to guide and slow my descent. I land and jog quickly to catch up to Master Tavik who's already started to the rock formation the pirates have chosen to build their base on.

"So, Master Tavik, why do we not know who the VIP we're supposed to be rescuing is? Wouldn't it be easier to find and rescue them if we know who we're rescuing?" I'm not sure what all the secrecy is about and by the way his brow tightens, neither is Master Tavik.

"ROCI is being secretive, not much we can do about it, though if I had to guess it's because the slavers caught someone whose importance they haven't realized yet and ROCI doesn't want it to leak to them before we can save the VIP." Ah, well that would make a little sense at least, though they still could have handed us a datapad with the relevant details before sending us off. Red-Tape nonsense if you ask me.

Master Tavik stops suddenly and I have to catch myself before I walk right into him, he draws his vibroblade and I do likewise, what's going on? I look around him and sigh, goddamnit.

Two predatory forms approach, feline in shape and I assume sharp claws and teeth. They're a clear hunting pair and the way they split to flank us is not a good sign. They're clearly intelligent hunters, or as intelligent as they can get.

"Well, this'll get us warmed up for the mission, right Master?" I turn to face the one on the left and Master Tavik turns to face the one on the right, okay so we give them a few cuts and they'll ideally run off.

"Don't lose focus, these things are deadly, keep your guard up and trust the Force." I nod, even though he can't really see it and watch my predator. The beast hisses at me as it circles and I mirror it. I don't want to give it a chance at Master Tavik's back.

Okay, come on, jump at me, the beast lunges forward but retreats the minute my blade swipes at it. I press forward and jab at it and it dances away from me. Okay, fine you want it that way? I reach out with the Force, the beast practically a beacon in this place and grab hold of it and like a chain I yank as hard as I can. The predator howls in confusion and I assume rage as it's unceremoniously tossed forward and I slip around it, giving it a good cut with my blade.

It hits the ground and howls in pain, standing on suddenly shaky feet. Okay, that was a little brutal if you ask me. Come on, it's not a mortal blow, just leave and I won't kill you. I really feel bad about this but you were trying to kill and eat me.

It snarls at me and I sigh, reaching out to grab it again and push it back into the mist, just, just please don't. Lions and tigers were my favorite animals back home, this isn't either but it's close enough that I feel bad hurting it. Okay, it's given up, awesome, as it slinks back into the mist I see the other one running from Master Tavik, bleeding lightly from a few cuts. I guess it didn't want to fight two of us.

I look back at Master Tavik and give him a thumbs up, we're good to go I guess. He wipes off the blood from his vibroblade and returns it to the holster on his back. I shrug and do the same, that was inconvenient.

"What now, Master? You said we were going to bypass the main entrance? He nods and points to the rock formation ahead of us.

"Look at that rock formation, focus your sight and look through the rock, tell me what you see." I frown and nod, okay. My sight can pass through rock easily enough if I focus. I have a feeling I know what I'm going to find but I'm still surprised.

"There's a freight elevator in there, going all the way down. The rest of their base is underground?" That's….novel I guess. I suppose the prisoners are kept down there just in case there's a break out, the slaves can be trapped underground until reinforcements pop in to recapture them.

"Yes, we'll cut through the rock and go down to the slave pens directly." Clever, I like it. Master Tavik pulls out his comlink and presses a button, I presume to signal our Judicial Forces reinforcements then he runs to the rock formation and I follow.

Who built all of this and why? I mean, this is the Outer Rim and I imagine slave labor was used but…why? It's so needlessly evil and tacky, but who ever expected slavers to not be needlessly tacky and evil?

Alright, where's the thinnest point, we're gonna need to find it if we want to cut through quickly. I run up and down the formation, looking for the optimal spot when Master Tavik calls out to me.

"Viera, over here!" I turn back towards him and jog in his direction, oh I see, that'll work well enough. The two of us ignite our lightsabers and in unison plunge them into the rock, the rock sparks and heats up as we slowly make the cut.

I doubt they have a camera pointed this far down and even if they do we'll ideally be done and inside before they realize what's going on. The circle is almost complete and I spare a quick glance back to make sure no other predators are getting any ideas.

"That's it, back up padawan!" I deactivate my saber and step back as Master Tavik uses the Force on the cut, the rock shakes and crumbles as the metal wall on the other side comes forward, revealing a hole in the side of the rock formation.

Master Tavik steps in slowly and I wait for him to get all the way in before I follow. I sigh as I poke my head in, more climbing, alright find your footing and let's get this over with. Somehow climbing down the elevator shaft is scarier than the rock formations with easy handholds.

There's too much of a risk talking so the descent down is mostly silent, in the meantime I focus my Force sight below me and woah, that is a lot of people down there. I can't see the entirety of the underground facility but in the hallways and rooms around us, there are a not insignificant number of people. Guards only though, I don't see any of the prisoners yet.

Master Tavik steps off onto the top of the elevator and opens the hatch, dropping inside. Alright then, I step off onto the top of the elevator and follow him. Now the two of us are in a simple elevator, and there are two guards on the opposite side of the door.

Now what? I turn to face Master Tavik and he offers me a sly smile, waving his hand slowly. I hear two thunks and when I turn back the guards are slumped in front of the door, oooh that's clever. I like it.

Master Tavik presses the door button and we quickly drag the unconscious guards into the elevator and strip them of their blasters. One of them has a flash grenade and I happily take it, it's not a thermal detonator but whatever.

"What now, Master?" I've got a hand on my lightsaber but drawing it now would give the game away. Granted, those two unconscious slavers will give the game away too but it'll certainly last longer than if we turn on our lightsabers.

"Now, we find the prisoners and get them out. We'll probably have to fight to do that though." An alarm starts blaring and he sighs.

"It was only a matter of time before that happened, at least we won't need to worry about secrecy now." Alright then, I ignite my lightsaber, just the one for now, a bit too crowded for two lightsabers. Doors all around us open and people scramble out, some half-dressed, and draw their blasters.

"Surrender and you'll receive the full benefit of the Republic judicial courts." Uh, Master Tavik? I don't think they 're going to accept that.

A stream of blasterfire is all the answer we get. Okay then, I start deflecting the shots from one direction and Master Tavik takes the shots from the other.

"Padawan! Follow me!" As if I would do anything else but it is aa good indication to move as I slowly back up to keep pace with Master Tavik as he advances down the hall.

The great thing about being a Miraluka is that my Force based sight does wonders for my reflexes, especially where blocking blaster bolts are concerned, wait don't I have a flash grenade? I do, just picked it up, now would be a perfect time to set it off. A moment of thought and the grenade is armed and a second later I use the Force to move it out of my pocket and let it fall to the ground.

It's not an explosive but letting it detonate too close to me is probably a bad idea. There's a loud pop and then screams of pain as the slavers are blinded, some firing wildly while others clutch at their faces. Ha-hah! Good thing I don't have any eyes. Sucks to be you assholes.

Master Tavik takes the opportunity and charges forward, lightsaber flashing as he cuts blasters apart and downs slavers with taps to their legs. I follow as quickly as I can and we're around the corner before their sight returns.

Unfortunately, there are plenty more slavers here, plus any reinforcements they decide to send down, but the others are rushing to what looks like an armory or trying to figure out where we are. And since we can see through the walls we can maneuver around them pretty quickly.

The slave pens are….. down the next corridor and to the right it seems. I can make out a number of forms in there, not sure how many exactly but we'll figure it out soon enough.

"Master, the prisoners are right ahead." I mean, he probably already knows but can't hurt to say it right? Master Tavik nods and turns around just as a couple slavers round the corner. Blasterfire fills the corridor and we both back up, reflecting shots back at our attackers who duck around the corner for cover.

"Padawan! Go rescue the prisoners, I'll keep them here." I nod and back around the corner before rushing to the slave pens. He'll be fine, disappointing if this is where it all ends really. When I get there, the door is locked. Seems a keycard is needed for the door.

Or a lightsaber, I grab my spare saber from my belt and ignite it, plunging both into the top of the door and slowly cutting through. I can hear Master Tavik behind me still, so no tragedy there. A lot of slavers on the other side though, hm problematic I think.

The door comes off its hinges and I push it inward, stepping through the brand-new hole and stepping inside.

The room is somewhat reminiscent of a gym auditorium in size with four or five large fenced in pens dotting the room. There's a computer terminal on one side attached to the wall and a table with what look like shock collars. Okay, creepy and depressing. The prisoners inside take notice of me and crowd around the pen walls. One of them, a female human, stretches her arm through the bars and waves at me.

"Master Jedi, over here! Hurry!" Alright miss exposition, hopefully, might as well start with you I guess. I jog over to her and look at the door controls, okay, how do I? Ah fuck it, just cut through everything.

"Hang back a moment, miss." I raise my lightsaber high and cut into the door, severing the bars and forcing open a hole. The woman comes through, followed by half a dozen people of varied species, mostly female. I'm not sure how to feel about that, there are still the other pens too.

"Thank you, Master Jedi, my name is Inyri Arden, Sector Ranger, and boy am I glad to see you." Oh, the Sector Rangers, glad to actually meet one. Underfunded and overworked as they are.

"A pleasure, Ranger Arden but I'm just a padawan. My Jedi Master, Zun Tavik, is a bit busy holding off the slavers." She nods and heads over for the computer terminal on the wall.

"Alright, the controls to the slave collars should be on this terminal. I'll work on shutting them down. You get the other prisoners." I shrug and head over to the other pens, cutting the doors down and ushering the people out. Humans, Wookiees, Zabraks, a lot of Twi'leks, but not much else. The last pen though, there's someone inside, unmoving.

Is that a Trandoshan? Who would take a Trandoshan as a slave? Labor I suppose but aren't Trandoshans usually the ones capturing slaves, or hunting Wookiees. He, and I can only assume it's a he, is lying down in remarkably human despair. So, alive certainly but not interested in moving.

"Hey, I'm here to rescue you, come on. We'll get the shock collar off you and get out of here." The Trandoshan shakes his/her head and groans loudly, hissing.

"Is no use, points are lost! Scorekeeper has abandoned me." Oh, right. I forgot about that, the Trandoshan goddess of the Hunt, getting captured meant eternal shame unless you killed the person who captured you.

"Listen, there's plenty of opportunities to get your points back, we can fight off the slavers and get out of here." The Trandoshan hisses loudly and growls at me.

"It was not these slavers who shamed me, no my own kin, my own hatchmates betrayed me to this shame." Okay, no honor among thieves, or hunters in this case, but sheesh. Alright, umm how do I get him or her to stand up and move?

"Well, you're not going to earn your points back lying about here are you? Let's get up, get that shock collar off and get out of here alright. Look, I have a blaster, you wanna shoot some slavers?" I really don't know how else to cheer this Trandoshan up enough to get them moving.

"Is small comfort, killing weak hunters." But the Trandoshan sits up nonetheless and I hold out the blaster I pilfered from the elevator guard. The Trandoshan takes the blaster and weighs it in his or her hand before standing up and bowing lightly to me.

"Forgive Ehruss, shame has blinded her to the truth. First these slavers then my traitorous kin. I would know your name, little Jedi." Okay, so it's a her and wow she's a good head and a half taller than me. I hate being short.

Still it'd be rude not to introduce myself as well, etiquette lessons were taught for a reason I suppose. I bow low before the Trandoshan, and isn't that something I never thought I'd do.

"Padawan Viera Sarat, at your service. A pleasure to meet you." The Trandoshan, Ehruss? Matches my bow and thumps her chest in some sort of greeting, I'm not familiar enough with Trandoshan culture to guess at what.

"Well met, Padawan Sarat, I am Ehruss formerly of clan Jchoss, now a lone huntress. I am indebted to you, for saving me." I shrug, no reason not to, right?

"It's fine, that's what Jedi do. Now come on, let's get out of here, shall we?" My new associate and I head back over to Inyri just as she breaks the computer encryptions.

"Alright, give me a moment and I'll have these shock collars deactivated." She says, hands dancing across the terminal. I can't see what she's doing so I turn my focus back to Master Tavik who is still deflecting blaster bolts in the hallway. There are more guards and bodies of guards in the hall but he has it under control, I think?

I can't really tell but it seems poor of me to not go and help. I look around before an idea hits me as I walk over to one of the walls to the right of the door.

"Hey, Ehruss, Ranger Inyri, how good are you with a blaster?" Alright, how am I going to do this? There's a room on the other side of this wall and by the looks of it, I can get around the slavers attacking Master Tavik.

"I'd be a poor Ranger if I couldn't shoot." That's Inyri down and Ehruss growls something in her own language I don't understand before speaking again in basic.

"My blaster is ready Grakhowsk." I don't understand what that means but sure, why not. I activate my lightsabers and begin making another hole, I'm sneaky, like a ninja. And now there's a hole that's leading into what looks like an office? I step inside, Ehruss and Inyri behind me and take a brief look around. A blaster rifle in a locked container, a quick tap of my lightsaber and it opens easily. Ehruss takes the blaster rifle and hefts it before handing Inyri the pistol. Okay, weapons sorted then. Another look around, open the drawers and cabinets and other containers. What's here?

Oh, are those coins? Sweet, I like coins, I used to collect them back home. That's quite a few coins, I grab and pocket a few for later.

"What use does a Jedi have for Aurodium coins?" I turn to Inyri and shrug, no use really but I want some sort of memento for my padawan years.

"None really, I'm just collecting a few, I'll probably put them on the shelf in my room back at the Temple. She shakes her head and moves to the office door. Ehruss pauses just long enough to walk over, open the drawer and take a handful. Okay, we're good to go then?

Out the door and down the hall, I almost want to whistle a tune, but considering I'm probably about to murder a lot of people I feel that would be in bad taste.

Also, they'll hear me coming and I can't have that. We need to actually ambush them for this to work like I'm hoping it would

We round the corner behind at least a dozen and a half slavers, there are more around the corner leading to where they're firing at Master Tavik but the way they panic indicates clearly they weren't expecting me here. I reach and push the slavers with the best reflexes back into the wall hard and they slump. Then the rest open fire.

I advance slowly, deflecting shots back at the slavers, ideally non-lethal shots to put them out of the fight but I try not to wince as a few miss their mark and hit more lethal spots. I should probably put more training into that.

Ehruss and Inyri are far less concerned about minimal casualties as they fire from behind me into the mass of slavers now boxed in between two Jedi, a Sector Ranger, and an angry Trandoshan. It's hardly a contest as I advance. Some of them just drop their weapons and cower on the spot, those I let be as I advance further towards Master Tavik.

Another minute and the last of the slavers are either dead, wounded or surrendered and I offer Master Tavik a jaunty wave. He deactivates his lightsaber and steps forward, looking back at my handiwork.

"Padawan, good work, cutting through and going around proved an excellent strategy. Care to introduce your friends?" Oh, right, I gesture behind me to each of them in turn.

"Ehruss, Inyri, this is my Jedi Master, Zun Tavik. Master Tavik, Ehruss and Inyri, Sector Ranger." Inyri nods and steps forward, offering a quick salute.

"Master Jedi, thank you for your timely arrival. I was captured on my most recent assignment, but I have intel that the Council and ROCI will want." Master Tavik shifts, paying more attention now and I listen as well, I knew she was the VIP!

I have a feeling our next mission will involve this tidbit of information. Inyri clears her throat and gestures to the slavers around us.

"The Karazak slavers guild as you may know is operated by an assortment of department heads who act as crime bosses, each controlling a portion of the groups assets and stalking grounds. Following a lead from Master Tyvokka, I managed to chance upon the current headquarters of one of the department heads, Tyro Vang. I was captured in a routine raid before I could give this information to the Council."

Okay then, bigtime slaver and criminal, and we know where he is now. Or at least, we will soon. But is he there now, or will he be there soon? That is the question of the day.

"I'm sure the Council will act upon this information, for now we'll need to make sure we give it to them. The Judicial Forces reinforcements should be landing any minute now, let's go make sure they can handle the slavers up top. I shrug and point in the direction of the elevator.

"If they haven't already, no one's come down the elevator yet so I imagine they might already be here." That was unusually competent of them, how odd. Master Tavik nods and starts toward the elevator.

"I'll see if that's the case, go back to the pens and get the prisoners ready for evac." I bow and head down the hall, Ehruss following close behind.

Another good days' work.


	17. Interlude IV

"Status, Ensign?" Jace Dallin stood hands behind his back, watching the events unfolding before him on the Invincible's viewport.

Watching their victory.

He had been skeptical of naming their new flagship after the old one but General Tarkin had assured him that the moniker would instill fear in pirates once they'd earned some victories. And he had been so right, more often the pirates would run rather than even consider engaging the Invincible.

Granted with only 5 turbolasors and twenty quad laser batteries, the remodeled Valor-class cruiser wasn't as well armed as it could have been, but its hanger bays carried numerous fighters and shuttles with which to bring its impressive compliment of troops and fighter craft to the enemy.

Though even with Senator Tarkin's expanded recruitment efforts their fleet was under crewed, most notably in terms of fighter pilots and experienced ground troops. His reputation and the failure at Troiken still lingered.

But it was changing! He had seen it firsthand ever since they began their sweep of Landor, systematically engaged pirate group after pirate group. They'd been arrogant at first, the pirates all too eager to throw themselves at their foes, thinking them mere mercenaries or merchant marines to be crushed. They'd lost, all of them.

Word of their victories had spread and now the pirates were hesitant, striking out and darting back, unwilling to engage them directly. Traders and merchants had flocked to them for support and safety. Donations from grateful merchants and businessmen had done much to support the logistics of their fleet.

But far more important were the individuals who had come to join them, who'd heard that someone was finally cleaning up the Landor system and wanted to be a part of it.

"Enemy ships have suffered significant damage and are attempting a retreat. The station defenses have been destroyed and Lieutenant Vance is requesting permission to begin boarding actions." In the distance two turbostorm gunships dance across the edge of the battlefield, trading fire with Aurek Strikefighters while a very heavily, and illegally, modified Bratilia light freighter and DP20 frigate trade shots with the Vigilant and Judicator. The Hammerhead's two turbolaser cannons burning fire into the smaller ships while their smaller sets of dual turbolasers and laser cannons hit critical weak points along the hulls of their enemies.

He turned his attention back to the Ensign, a new recruit to be certain but one who had proven her worth and he had personally chosen for this position. Sarela'Vekarr's fingers danced across her terminal, blue skin seeming to glow in the light of her workstation. Her lekku tied back in as close to regulation as Jace expected he could get without hurting her. There had been doubts, Ranulph not the least of them. Jace knew Troiken had changed his perspective but it had not been a complete change. Jace knew the man was trying and getting better and better but the fact that he'd eventually consented once she'd proven her skill at the navigation and sensor display, proved that he wasn't the same man he was at Troiken.

"Good work Ensign Vekarr, signal the lieutenant to begin boarding actions, take as many alive as he can manage and see if he can get the pirates data terminals before they erase anything too important.

"Yes, Commander Dallin." Jace turned his attention away from the battle, it was as good as won and strode purposefully over to where General Tarkin stood, behind him Masters Dooku and Sifo-Dyas. Ranulph had been surprised to find Jedi who agreed with his fears for the Republic and they'd gotten along well in their shared purpose and goals. Both also served to temper some of the General's more impulsive tendencies.

"General Tarkin, Lieutenant Vance is beginning boarding actions against the station and the pirates remaining fleet are falling back." Ranulph's gaze didn't break from the viewport, in the distance a turbostorm gunship detonated under fire from the strikefighters.

"Excellent work Jace, order off a squadron of Aurek's to form a perimeter, we don't want any surprises to show up." Jace saluted and returned to his duties, leaving Ranulph, Dooku, and Sifo-Dyas to themselves.

"Another victory, we've just about cleared the system of pirates" Sifo-Dyas said quietly, looking towards Dooku.

"Yes, but it's still not enough to win back the support of the other militarists, we'll need their support if this is to be anything other than a well-organized Outer Rim militia. We need a bigger victory, something significant." Dooku stroked his chin, contemplating the thought. Sure, they'd shown up the Judicial Forces but that wasn't going to be enough to win the support they needed.

Relying on winning the Outer Rim support had been considered but there just wasn't enough infrastructure there, the institutions with which to build the new Republic military. They needed Core support and they needed it quickly.

"Ryloth will be our victory, we'll force the pirates and slavers into a true battle, and we'll crush them there." Ranulph said, after a moment.

"We don't have the numbers to defend Ryloth, not from the response we'll surely get. We need more forces than we have." Sifo-Dyas shook his head sadly. Ryloth needed their help but it was suicidal, they needed more fighters, more capital ships if they were to push back the inevitable onslaught.

"Master Sifo-Dyas I'm a rich man, but I'm not rich enough to afford more capital ships, and we don't have the pilots for more fighters, what choice do we have?" Dooku considered the question for a moment before stepping into the conversation.

"Perhaps we can help Ryloth, I have an old friend I haven't seen in a while. He may be able to offer us some aid." Ranulph raised an eyebrow but listened as Dooku pressed on.

"His name is Garm Bel Iblis, he was a member of CorSec before retiring and he has considerable influence on Corellia. I'm sure he could round up willing pilots and funds for our cause." Sifo-Dyas frowned, thinking over the new information.

"We'll still need more funds for capital ships, fighters and equipment for the troops, unless you can get us a few million credits it won't do much." Again, Dooku shook his head.

"I think I have a solution for that as well, it will take some negotiating but I think it doable." There was a hesitation in his voice that made Sifo-Dyas pause, his friend sounded concerned but for what he couldn't tell. Nevertheless, he'd ask about it and offer what support he could later.

Ranulph nodded, he wasn't pleased with the uncertainties to this plan but he knew well enough that he had few options at this point. He'd take what he could get. Dooku's counsel had been worthwhile before, if he thought he could get them support and funding then Ranulph would let him.

"Very well, Master Dooku I am in your debt. Master Sifo-Dyas, I need you to go to Ryloth and get in contact with Cham Syndulla, he's proven so far to be the best option to replace Taa as Senator for Ryloth. We'll need the influence he holds on Ryloth to coordinate and plan our defense." Sifo-Dyas and Dooku both bowed to excuse themselves and departed.

Ranulph remained, eyes locked on the remains of the battle before him. He was getting there, slowly but surely, and this time he would win. Then the rest of the Militarists would have to rally behind him and the Republic would have a military once again.


	18. Book one: Part Thirteen

The wind whips over me and through my hair as we step out along one of the upper walkways of Terminus. We arrived just a few hours ago and set up in the safehouse Ranger Inyri provided for us. Now we're here to find a crime boss and bring him to justice.

Go us.

Terminus is not nearly as big as Coruscant but it is still a thriving port of call on the very edge of the known galaxy. There are ships I can't even begin to place here, and everywhere I turn species that I have no clue of what they are. And given the level of education I've received and the innumerous alien species who have members in the Order that I've met, I know a lot.

So, after securing the slavers compound on Dioll, Master Tavik, Ranger Inyri and I had a long chat with the Council via holocom, giving them our report and receiving our new orders from Master Tyvokka. Apparently after Troiken, Master Tyvokka took a closer interest in the various gangs and syndicates running loose out there.

This whole operation from Inyri's deployment to Terminus, to our mission on Dioll and to this here were instigated by his own efforts. So, this whole mission to Terminus isn't anything I could hope to predict, we've gone completely off the rails here.

Also, I've apparently picked up a life debt? I didn't know that Trandoshans even had life debts! But Ehruss has been quick to instruct me otherwise, she's now determined to follow me and keep me safe until the end of my days or hers.

Master Tavik, and Master Tyvokka were less enthused with my new companion. Granted, Tyvokka's lack of enthusiasm was understandable but the Council is 'deliberating' on how to handle this life debt thing. In the meantime, Ehruss has come with us to Terminus and already she's proven incredibly useful.

Republic credits aren't accepted on Terminus, which means the money requisitioned out to me and Master Tavik is completely useless here. We are quite frankly broke here.

Or we would be if Ehruss hadn't looted the rest of those Aurodium coins. Turns out they're worth quite a lot here and we've stocked up on some necessary supplies as well as some bribes for local information and the who's who of people to go to for whatever you need.

Granted as undercover Jedi, we're not really here for slaves, drugs, weapons, or other things of varying legality but they don't need to know that. No, we're here to find Tyro Vang and bring him to justice. While, likely killing a lot of other people. Inyri has a dozen other rangers personally selected for their loyalty and skill for this mission. This is going to be a full scale raid on the compound.

I think I'm starting to see a pattern in these big missions we go on. Not sure how I feel about that, or about how easily I've come to accept the deaths I end up causing. Stuff to think about later, when I have a free moment.

So, here we are, two Miraluka, a human, and a Trandoshan all step out onto one of the biggest shadowports in the galaxy, hunting a crime lord.

"So, what's the plan Master?" I haven't heard a lot of what we're going to do about the guy. I mean, we know where his headquarters is located, deep in the underbelly of the port itself. And we know he's supposed to be there sometime tomorrow if our timetable is right. But are we just going to storm the place with who knows how many guards there?

"The plan, padawan, is that we make sure we have all the information we need before we strike at Tyro's headquarters." Okay, that tells me nothing! I turn back to the walkway ahead of us, the crowds are thicker here and thankfully we're still dressed in our undercover clothes. I'd hate to imagine what would happen if we were here dressed as Jedi.

"More specifically, we need to get a good look at the headquarters, from a distance, and determine the best method to infiltrate the facility and capture Tyro." I nod slowly, that's better, we're going to do a little stakeout.

"No worth in these small prey, our hunts should be grander." Ehruss rumbles from behind me and I shrug lightly.

"It needs doing, if not us then who? Besides this guy is supposed to be some big shot crime boss, I'd be surprised if he doesn't have stellar security, at least compared to Dioll." That's a bit worrying but thankfully I've come prepared. The armory on Dioll had several flashbang grenades, and a few thermal detonators.

I 'confiscated' every one of them, for a good cause I swear.

"As you say, Grashkowh, I will follow." Okay, that's going to get really annoying sooner rather than later, good intentions aside.

"Ehruss, just call me Viera, it's easier for both of us that way." Also, I feel a bit guilty about someone basically pledging their life to me. I never really liked the whole Han Solo-Chewbacca relationship once I found that out. Oh, certainly Chewbacca deciding to stick with and help Han after Han saved him is one thing, the whole idea of a life debt is a bit sketchy for me though. Especially with the troubles coming, if she dies at the hands of Sidious or one of his goons trying to protect me then it's my fault.

"I understand…Viera, I will endeavor to do so in the future." I nod and offer a thumbs up in approval.

We merge into the crowds and it becomes a matter of ease to move through them, granted Ehruss helps a lot, even out here Trandoshans have an intimidating reputation. She walks up at the front with us and inevitably there is a path cleared ahead for us.

Vendors are hawking wares to the passerby and I find it odd how department store style shopping never seems to have become a thing here. It's all street vendors or small shops. Even the big companies only have small shops about the size of a fast food restaurant back home, just scattered all over the place.

If only it was designer purses and dresses they were selling here.

"Arms! Small, heavy, explosives and more!" I actually do want to check that out if I have the time.

"Personal protection, armor and more, don't neglect protecting yourself from your enemies, security forces and your fellows alike!"

"Spice! Fresh spice, Ryll and Glitterstim, Red Rage and Doom Desire! Cheap prices and bulk purchases on request!"

"Droids! The best droids on Terminus, battle droids, protocal and astromech, droids to serve every function!"

"Slaves, new slaves, Twi'lek, Wookiee, Human, and Sullustan, well trained and available!"

I shudder silently and avert my gaze from the slaver, I can't do anything about it right now and just looking at the slaves, their aura, their desires. The pain, despair, anger, all boiling and rolling together. It's enough to make me sick of my sight. Master Tavik's gaze is locked ahead of us, ah so he sees it too? Behind me Inyri scowls and grumbles to herself.

"There are too few of us Sector Rangers, we can barely cover the Core and Inner Rim, much less out here. We need more people and more funding to properly manage all of this." She's not wrong, how many lawless worlds here in the Rim would join the Republic if peace and security could be brought out to the Rim.

"The Council has Knights all over the Rim and there still aren't enough of us to cover the Outer Rim, not to mention the rest of the galaxy." Ten thousand Jedi are not near enough to cover more than a thousand sectors in the galaxy. We'd need a hundred thousand or more to come even close to managing it.

"Calm yourself, padawan, I can feel your disturbance in the Force. By capturing Tyro Vang, we'll discover further slavers across the galaxy. We can do the best for the galaxy by catching the bosses. Without direction or leadership, the underlings will quit or make mistakes in the mad scramble for power. Then we pick up the pieces." I nod and try to calm down, I need to be focused for the mission. I don't quite buy his explanation and I'm not sure if he does either.

But what other option do I have? Those aurodium coins we picked up on Dioll are worth a lot, but not enough to buy the freedom of every slave here and get them reliable transport home. Most of the people here are smugglers, pirates, or slavers of some sort. I wouldn't trust any of them to actually take the freed slaves home.

However, the Council's official stance on the matter sounds neat and tidy but thousands of years later and no dissolution of slavery shows it's not as effective as they'd like. The best way to get around slavery is to either get rid of the market for it or make it too difficult to find and capture new slaves. The first requires destroying the Hutts which is harder than it sounds, they've been independent for countless millennia for a reason.

I hate how complicated these things are living through them rather than reading about them. But that's been my life since I came here.

As we go down into the under levels of Terminus the crowds become sparser and the shops and goods seedier, if that was even possible. Beasts of varying species, braying monstrosities and mercenaries of various stripes. A few Mandalorians even, or at least wearing similar armor. Jango should be killing Tor Vizla around now, right?

I can see a shop offering cybernetics and other mechanical upgrades as well as some seriously cyberpunk type folk, I honestly loved that part of the MMO, it's just so sci-fi and ridiculous that it made me smile. It's a bit more sobering in person, but still kinda cool.

Tyro Vang's headquarters, isn't one building or base but rather a series of connected buildings on one of the under levels. I can see….I can't count how many guards in the various buildings and underground facilities but I can definitely see that there are more than on Dioll.

And they're probably better armed too, with Tyro coming in tomorrow with his personal detail, I can't imagine this being very easy at all. The four of us are not up for this I think. At least not without some preparation, and some help.

We have until tomorrow for that, stretching it a bit thin I'd say but I'm sure Master Tavik has a plan. I turn to find him examining the facility himself, a frown of concentration on his face.

"Got a plan, Master?" I ask and he shrugs, not saying anything for a moment.

"Looks like a few dozen guards at least, there's a ray shield of sorts over the main complex, powered by a generator inside the main facility in the underground section. Ranger Inyri, such a ray shield would have to be controlled by a terminal correct? And it would have to allow for transmissions to go in and out of the ray shield." She thinks about it for a moment before nodding.

"Yes, unless they wanted to lower the ray shield every time they needed to send a message out of the system. The ray shield would be a bit weaker than normal but still strong enough to repel most weaponry any potential attacker could bring to bear." Master Tavik nods and pockets his datapad.

"There's no way to hack into their system unless they use it first. Luckily for us, I imagine that Tyro will send a transmission to the base when he arrives in system. There's a relay station nearby. Tomorrow morning I'll go and see if I can't get in and weaken the ray shield just a bit for our infiltration." Okay, and if he doesn't send a transmission to announce his arrival?

"And if he doesn't do that?" Thank you, Inyri, for your words of wisdom and sense. Master Tavik shrugs and gives one last look to our target.

"Then we go with plan b, there are two ways to get into that facility, hacking in and weakening the shield is just the easiest." Okay, I imagine this has something to do with the Luka Sene techniques he's been trying to teach me. I've gotten better at them but I still can't sense them like he can.

He turns to me and Ehruss and I snap back to attention, did I miss something?

"Viera, Inyri's going to round up her men for tomorrow. I trust you and Ehruss to go and prepare yourselves for tomorrow?" I salute, sloppily, and grin. I can do preparation, he knows me too well.

"Yes, Master Tavik, I'll see you at the safehouse. Come on Ehruss, let's go shopping." Ehruss nods and joins me as I head off back to the upper levels.

I have a brilliant idea, I hope.

The salesman presents the selection for my perusal and I examine it gleefully.

"I have thermal detonators, flashbangs, frags and adhesive grenades for your selection. Sadly, no ion or sonic grenades but if you give me time I might get more in stock." I'm not going to be here that long but I pretend to agree to future shopping. My cover is that I'm a recruit to a mercenary group and I'm doing some personal shopping for the commander. Ehruss is with me to get herself a new blaster rifle and keep an eye on me.

It's worked so far as I watch her admire her brand-new blaster rifle. The A280 as told to me by the salesman is one of the best blaster rifles for burning through the enemy's armor. I'm not too familiar with the terminology he used but Ehruss was pleased with it and we had the money so why not.

"I'll take ten thermal detonators, six frags, two flashbangs and four adhesive grenades." He names a sum and I hand him the coin. I watch him marvel at it before he rushes back to get the change. Ehruss is here to make sure he doesn't try to shortchange me, she can be very intimidating when she tries to be.

Now what, I've got plenty of ordnance for myself and Ehruss, I need to pick up some armor for Ehruss, I don't really have any use for armor, too much damage to my mobility.

I begin crossing the street to the armor vendor, grenades safely in my bandoleer when a large Gamorrean barrels through and almost knocks me to the ground. I stumble and turn to the Gamorrean who's making vague pig noises in my general direction. I have no idea what he's saying.

"You bumped into me, sleemo, watch where you're going." The Gamorrean squeals and steps forward threateningly. I reach for the blaster pistol on my hip as Ehruss hisses and draws her new blaster rifle. People clear away from us, some reaching for their weapons.

"Your carcass will decorate the street." Ehruss hisses, and for a moment I'm convinced blood is going to be spilt, or burnt in this case. Then the Gamorrean squeals out something strained and broken. There's a sickening crack and its neck bends at an angle I know it's not supposed to before it slumps to the ground.

What the hell? I look around in a panic trying to find the source of that when I hear a woman's chuckle.

"Ah, I'm so sorry, did I frighten you?" The human female steps out of the assembled crowd, she's young, probably close to my age, and surprisingly slender. I can't see any weapons in her hand but I don't sense the Force, so how? Behind her an older Zabrak follows, silently watching the two of us and I repress a shiver.

His eyes are dead, in the cold-blooded killer sense, not the zombie sense to clarify. The young woman sighs and prods the dead Gamorrean with her boot.

"So sorry to interrupt, I imagine you could handle him on your own but I dread to think of that brute troubling a sweet young woman such as yourself." I'm not sure what to say to that beyond a smile and nod.

"Thank you, I could have handled him myself though, my name is Viera Sarat and the statuesque warrior behind me is Ehruss, what's your name?" I offer a hand to shake and she reciprocates in kind, odd her hand feels a bit weird but I can't' place why.

"Ysanne Leoet, and the old man behind me is my adopted father Ousan Astar." The Zabrak says nothing to me, and I don't look at him, there's something chilling about him and yet I can't sense anything off about either of them.

"Ah, a pleasure to meet you Ysanne, I'm here shopping for my boss, he has a special love for grenades. So, he sent me out to buy him some." Small talk is good, considering I don't know what else to do. I can't sense anything wrong even though that man is setting off every danger sense I have. Ysanne smiles and points back to Ousan, the big Zabrak standing impatiently behind her.

"Ousan's a special contractor for some of the firms out here and I'm here on an apprenticeship, quite the interesting life, travelling all over the galaxy. But he's an impatient man and we do need to be off to our next job, a pleasure meeting you Viera, Ehruss." She steps back and waves, giving me a rather flirtatious wink that I couldn't return even if I wanted to.

"Very well, a pleasure Ysanne, safe travels to you." I watch them push back into the crowd and shiver, turning to Ehruss.

"Come on, let's go get you that armor, we're going to need it I fear." I shake my head and hurry ahead. I should probably tell Master Tavik about that, maybe he can tell me more.


	19. Book one: Part Fourteen

The next morning, bright and early, the four of us left the quiet of the safehouse and made our way to the staging ground for Inyri and her support troops. I woke up early, anxiety over the mission costing me sleep, and meditated for the remainder.

Once we arrived, Master Tavik went on ahead to the relay station to try and hack into the compound's computer systems and I am left to await his signal to get started.

I told Master Tavik about my encounter with what I suspect was a pair of dark side adepts the previous day and he seemed to take the news seriously if a bit skeptically, the odds of running into Force users strong enough to give a Jedi trouble is rather rare. Unless you count the Blackguard, Night Sisters, Sorcerers of Tund, Seyugi Dervishes, or Prophets of the Dark Side, still rare though. It's a coincidence I don't like and I'm sure we'll see the two of them later, maybe even today.

Inyri looks quite different in her combat armor, she and our backup are all dressed up in durasteel combat armor, there's some paint on it but like always I can't really tell what color it is. I've considered getting armor for myself but there are a number of problems with it. With how often I'm in the thick of the fighting, only heavy armor would be useful for me in terms of protection. Unfortunately, that same armor would hinder my mobility and the effectiveness of my lightsaber. If I could get some Echani armor that would probably work, their armor is designed to work with the wearer's mobility. The problem is, that kind of armor is a bit of a niche market and outside of Eshan you'll have a hard time finding it, much less affording it.

Inyri's forces will be assaulting the compound on our command to draw off the guards while we get in and grab Tyro Vang. We'll probably have plenty of fighting to do eventually but for the first part we'll need to be sneaky.

Which means that Ehruss has to go with Inyri for this, and she is not happy to hear this. Not happy at all

"How can I protect you if we are separated. I must go with you." I do feel a bit bad, but I dread trying to imagine sneaking around with a Trandoshan behind us.

"I need you to help Inyri, she and her men will need your skill and firepower for the assault. Master Tavik and I need to go in quietly, and as awesome as you are, you're not very quiet Ehruss." That armor we bought her yesterday is not at all quiet. And the A280 blaster makes enough noise to break any cover we might have. Ehruss knows this, she's just not happy about it.

"Besides, I'll have Master Tavik with me. He's a Jedi Master, if he can't keep me safe then nothing short of an army could." Ehruss hisses something in her language that I don't understand but I'm starting to become familiar with her facial expressions.

"Look at it this way Ehruss, you and Inyri will be drawing off most of the guards while we grab Tyro Vang, you're protecting me by drawing off the bulk of their defenses." That.. doesn't seem to be convincing her but she's not really arguing the point.

"I do not like this, but I shall obey, I will defeat them quickly to rejoin you." I nod and after a moment give her a quick hug, I'm not sure it means the same thing in Trandoshan culture but it's a symbolic gesture. After a moment, I feel her arms around my shoulder and like that it's off, we'll meet up again later.

I hand her two frag grenades a thermal and some of my flashbangs. I have far too many of those flashbangs from what I picked up on Dioll, she could make use of some of them. Plus, until the game is up, using my grenades won't help us any. I have to remember, sneaky like a ninja.

My datapad pings as a message comes in. Oh, looks like it's time to go. Master Tavik and I already went over where we're going to meet up and what we're going to do, Tyro isn't dumb enough to not have watchers over his compound, all snipers. Any attack on the compound will get picked off if they don't take care of them first.

What's more is these snipers are well hidden in alcoves that are very difficult to get to unless you have a jetpack.

Or Force powers, Master Tavik spotted all of the snipers last night and before we go in, we're going to take them out. I pocket the datapad and bow to Inyri and Ehruss.

"I'm off now, may the Force be with you all." My lightsabers are hidden in my vest, the bandoleer is full of grenades and I am ready to go.

"Safe hunting to you." Thank you Ehruss.

"Good luck kid." Thank you, Inyri I guess.

And off I go.

I merge back into the flow of people and expand my senses outwards, Master Tavik is a blip on the edge of my perception, and I make my way towards him. This time, I avoid bumping into random people and starting a ruckus.

Instead of going down like yesterday, I take a ramp upwards, heading towards a service ramp and slipping inside quickly. The throng of people begins to dim and soon enough the way is mostly empty and those that are there are too busy to bother with me. Okay, now I'm at a balcony of sorts, overlooking the lower levels all the way down to where the headquarters is located. I nod to Master Tavik who is busy stretching when I arrive. He nods as I approach.

"Hello, Padawan. Ready to go?" He stands up and heads over to the railing and I follow him.

"Ready to go Master, what's the plan?" I look over the railing and down to the very narrow service walkway meters down, it seems to lead to another point farther below and from there I have no idea where we're going.

"Well, ready to do some more climbing? I bet those snipers aren't looking up, we'll drop down on them and take them down silently. I've already got a backdoor into his systems. I'll weaken the shield when we get there. I nod and he vaults over the railing, already beginning the climb down the ledge and I follow, vaulting over and finding my footing quickly. Down we go.

I used to be scared of heights, but after learning how to leap so high into the air and land gracefully, plus all this climbing, I'm happy to say I have mostly gotten over it. But still, this is quite the adventure, I am so glad I'm in better shape here and have a higher power that can strengthen and empower me.

"Alright, Viera, focus on the Force as you descend, let it guide your hands and feet. Trust in the Force and you will make it." Alright, I'm doing that, and it's not helping as much as I'd like it to. The things we do to catch people off guard.

"You know, my Jedi Master, was quite fond of climbing, did it all the time, if there was a route that required climbing you could guarantee she'd make us climb it." Oh, story time, I love story time. I also wouldn't mind hearing more about this person I have not met.

"Ommatea Terrak was her name, she was a good Jedi, kind, patient, and willing to listen. She and I went all over the galaxy, from the Core to the edge of Wild Space. She became one with the Force some time ago." We land on the walkway and slowly make our way down, it's narrow and clearly meant for a species smaller than us but we manage to balance it as we walk.

"She sounds like a good Jedi, I wish I could have met her." Again, we vault over the railing and begin our descent down, I feel like this is leading somewhere, not sure but maybe.

"You would have, I think, she had an easy nature, she got along with most everyone she met. We went to Kashyyyk once, to help the Wookiee's with a diplomatic dispute and you should have seen her when she saw them climbing the Wroshyrr Trees. She insisted we climbe from branch to branch, this isn't nearly as terrifying as that was." I suppress a shiver, I can't imagine, knowing how far down it is to ground level.

"Yeah, I suppose there's a point to the story?" I really didn't see it and as we descend just a bit more he laughs and shrugs slowly.

"There was no point padawan, just trying to ease your anxiety with conversation." Okay, fair enough, it worked a little I suppose? More conversation it is then.

"Master, what would you say is the purpose of the Jedi?" He perks up a bit but there is a question I would like answered here.

"Well, beyond the easy answer, I think our purpose is to fight the practitioners of the Dark Side whenever they appear, beyond that we do what we can to help the people of the galaxy wherever we can." Okay, not a bad reason I guess, but it doesn't quite answer what I'm wondering.

"So, do you think we're doing that now, the Jedi as a whole?" Foot down, lower yourself slowly and pretend that your heart is not pounding a mile a minute. He's silent for a few minutes as we continue our descent.

"We could be doing better, I guess, but we're not doing terrible. I'll admit that I've never liked the Jedi being too political, it's detrimental to our goals in the end to be favoring one polity over the other." I vaguely remember him not being happy about us going to Troiken at the Senate's request.

"Call it the rebel in me but I've always wondered what the galaxy would be like if the Jedi never left the old days, when we weren't so centralized and plenty of Jedi never stepped foot on Coruscant, going from system to system, planet to planet, going where the Force directed them and doing what they could individually in each system." Okay, plenty of downsides to that though, it would be stupidly easy to ambush isolated Jedi, a center of power for the Order would be somewhat necessary for the ultimate survival of the Order.

Still a mix of both could be useful I imagine? More wandering Jedi like Master Fay and Jon Antilles alongside other Jedi who operated out of the Temple on Coruscant. Or like the Altisian Jedi maybe? I really need to find out if they're as ridiculous as Traviss wrote them or if they're more reasonable?

I have an idea that'll probably be stupid in the long run, but oh the potential.

"Not a bad purpose, all things considered Master, though I would say there is a benefit to being visible politically. Our ambassador's and diplomats do serve an important function." We're not that far from our goal now, just a little bit more to go.

"True enough, but those of us who aren't more politically or diplomatically inclined ought to spend more time in the Rim than in the Core. But sadly, reality isn't so simple as that, too many complexities in life I fear." Fair enough, we're just about there. There's a small protrusion of metal bars and girders of some sort. I can see the sniper, a Weequay, hiding inside an alcove. That's either the best or worst job. Hah, I have a plan for him though.

Hello Adhesive grenade, float it in the air, then slowly back towards the alcove, he can't see it coming, no sign he recognizes his imminent doom. I activate the countdown and push the grenade into the alcove. There's a startled gasp as it goes off and man, he's just covered in foam. Alive, but not moving or calling anyone for the next few hours.

"Good Work padawan, there are two more, go left and get the second, I'll go right for the last and we'll meet midway." Okay then, go me I guess. Now, where do I? Ah, over there.

I begin moving to the left and Master Tavik goes right, the other sniper is a hundred meters away and I hate it, this is the scariest hundred meters ever.

I have another adhesive grenade though! A quick detonation and it's off to meet back up with Master Tavik, I'm sure the rest of this mission will go smoothly and with no difficulties whatsoever.

Master Tavik is already on the ground when I get to the meeting point, hidden behind one of the complex's smaller buildings and I quickly drop to meet him. There's a risk of discovery here but things are quickly going to start going to hell and it won't matter then.

"Alright, let's get ready to move then, Padawan." The buildings around us have a number of people in them, none of them reacting to us quite yet. Down below I can see even more people but it's harder to make them out. My sight is getting better at distinguishing people but it's not that good yet.

"Padawan, the man from yesterday, he was a Zabrak right?" I nod, already dreading what's about to happen.

"Well, he's down there, with the younger female. We're about to meet your new friends then." I sigh and wonder why I expected any different?

"Alright then, we'll get to say hi, I guess. I'm ready to go Master." He nods and together we slip around the building and head for the main complex, I can see the Ray shield, it's shimmering around the building but there's…dips in it, places where it's thinner. Master Tavik sees them too and we head for one while he takes out his datapad and begins inputting commands.

The shield dims even further and for a moment there's a gap in front of us.

"Go!" he yells and we both dart inside, there's a door nearby and with a wave of his hand it's open and we're through. Master Tavik has already opened his comlink to signal Ehruss and Inyri.

"We're in, go ahead with the distraction." I don't hear the reply but I see it, there's an explosion in the distance and suddenly everything's on high alert. Master Tavik and I both ignite our lightsabers as the complex springs to life.

Ah to see the looks on their faces as they rush out, only to spot two Jedi. Surprise, assholes, blaster fire erupts as we advance down the hall. One thermal detonator out of the bandoleer, let it fall to the ground and a nudge with the Force to send it rolling behind us, wait till it gets to the corner and activate it.

The guards running around the corner don't even open fire before the grenade goes off and kaboom. Master Tavik presses forward, and I follow, settling in beside him to cover. The guards ahead of us are smarter than the others and begin falling back around the corner. It looks like they're trying to link up with some of their fellows farther back?

"Padawan, a flashbang grenade would be very useful right about now." Oh, right, it would. Grab the flashbang from the bandoleer, activate it and watch as Master Tavik grabs it with the Force and flings it down the hall and around the corner.

And then it goes off and Master Tavik runs forward, around the corner his lightsaber flashing and I follow. Striking legs and arms, we're not killing any of them, but they are hurt. Except for those ones I detonated but let's ignore that for now. Take another adhesive grenade, set it off and let it drop among the wounded unconscious guards before we take off.

They'll be fine, maybe I don't know, but I didn't kill them, so I feel better about it. Tyro is probably down below, I don't see anyone important looking in the main complex and my two friends from yesterday are down-level so that's where we'll go I guess.

The elevator isn't there but that's fine we don't need it. The two of us plunge our sabers into the door and begin the process of cutting a hole, the other guards on this level are scrambling to organize and to decide whether to go after us or go outside so we have time. A Force push and we send the door tumbling down the elevator shaft, jumping through and heading down. Is that the elevator coming up to meet us? Oh yes it is, there are guards inside, panic!

We both land on the top of the rapidly ascending elevator and we don't even have to speak to know what to do. Our sabers plunge into the top of the elevator and begin cutting a hole, kicking the metal into the elevator and dropping in.

The guards around us level their blasters at us, aside from the one crushed under the metal roof and we both begin swinging, cutting weapons in half and cutting the guards. The elevator reaches the top with no door and I sigh, pressing the down button. Master Tavik chuckles and shakes his head beside me as the doors close and we begin descending.

I contemplate dropping an adhesive grenade in here but decide that would be bad. We do have to come back up here when we capture Tyro.

We reach the bottom and I can see the guards posted on the other side of the door, weapons drawn. Oh boy, the door opens and immediately we're blocking a hail of blaster fire. Flashbang time, open the bandoleer activate the flashbang and toss it into the middle of that mess. And again, the sound of people screaming in pain as they clutch at their eyes.

You know, when my enemies become mostly droids or armored people with flash-resistant visors I'm going to miss this simplicity. We both move forward, deflecting bolts back into arms and legs, striking out with lightsabers to down our enemies and progressing further onward into the complex.

There's a big open room farther down with only three people inside, two of them are my new friends. I bet the third is Tyro Vang, this is going to be climactic I bet.

Hah-hah two bit thugs can't stop a Jedi Master and the Jedi Grenadier. I take a deep breath as the last of the guards is taken down, okay, we're good. Inyri, Ehruss and the others are distracting the others and it's just the two dark siders stopping us from getting to Tyro. As we approach and open the door, I can see them close ranks around what I assume to be Tyro Vang, he's Devaronian, tall and one of his horns seems blunted whether from injury or something else I can't tell.

Ysanne and Ousan both have lightsabers in their hands, okay this is much worse than I thought. Dark side adepts would have been tough but manageable? I really hope they don't know how to use those lightsabers but I know they do. God damnit.

We seem to be in a machine shop of some sort? There's an upper walkway overlooking the rest of the floor and what seems to be a conveyer built where they're building something I don't understand… droids maybe? Or it could be more complex machinery I don't know for sure. There's a great big generator in the back

Ysanne waves and I sigh and wave back, why not, just roll with it.

"Tyro Vang, you are under arrest for sentient trafficking, drug trafficking, murder, bribery, embezzlement, and more. Please come peacefully and your subordinates may leave without harm." Master Tavik steps forward as Tyro steps back. Ousan steps forward to block him, the giant Zabrak raising his lightsaber in a guard.

"I can't allow that, Jedi. If you want Tyro then you'll have to go through us." I can see Ysanne shrug as she steps up to block me preemptively. I have to ask, I can't not.

"And you are? I don't think you're Sith but, who are you?" Ousan twitches at the name Sith but says nothing. Ysanne doesn't either, I guess they're not going to tell me?

"The two of you, kill them! I hired you to protect me, so do it. I'll triple your pay, give you whatever you want if you kill them." Tyro runs towards a back room, a safe room maybe or just somewhere out of the way who knows.

Master Tavik raises his lightsaber and I mirror him, this will be my first duel to the death, or not. I really don't want to kill either of them. I'd like to know what information they have.

"This is your last warning, step aside and no harm will come to you. You haven't committed any crimes that can be proven, there is no need to fight." Master Tavik moves to the left and Ousan follows him.

"There can be no recourse Jedi, I have always wanted to face your kind in battle, to avenge our losses before. Now I have the opportunity, for the Black Knights!" The Black Knights? Oh….boy this isn't going to be good.

They both charge forward and Master Tavik and I move to meet them. Here we go.


	20. Book one: Part Fifteen

Our lightsabers clash together, the sound deafening in my ears. I can feel adrenaline rushing through my veins, movement becomes lighter, as if all the weight of my body is gone and everything is suddenly so much faster. Ysanne goes right and I mimic her, sweeping low to undercut her only for her to leap over me. Her own lightsaber slashes downwards and I roll forward to avoid it, gouges burned into the metal floor.

I'm on my feet and back into it again, she's already swinging her lightsaber to meet me. The clash is all there is, now that we're here, dueling I can see the tinges of darkness in her aura. It's like an ichor dripping from her, foul and dank. A blackness where the sun doesn't shine, but it's not…everywhere, is the best way to describe it. She's not fully committed to the dark path, I wonder, could I?

Such thoughts are pushed to the side as she slips her leg forward and let's my own strike overpower hers. I lean forward and she slips under me, wow she is flexible, and down I go, tumbling over her body. A quick roll to my feet and a desperate backpedal as she presses the attack.

Okay, jump to safety, I land on the conveyor belt and dodge to the side as she follows. Thankfully the conveyor isn't moving and our duel continues. I note that she isn't really going toe to toe with me, preferring to glide around me and use her flexibility to trip me up. I can't really press the attack too strongly then, or she'll kill me.

"Very good, Viera, so this is what a padawan can do?" The honest curiosity in her voice is tinged with excitement, lust for battle or something else? I can't place it.

I decide to try something new and disengage, stretching out with the Force, pushing her away from me, might as well try it.

She doesn't take it, sliding away from the push and pressing forward, again our blades lock. She's a good duelist but there's not a lot of strength to her blows, but she's fast enough to make up for it and keep me from pressing the advantage of my strength.

"Come on, Jedi! Isn't this what you're supposed to be fighting against? Why not attack me, why so silent?" She goads but I'm not keen on talking during battle, spars are one thing but right now I can't help but focus on the moment, the now. Everything is here, in this moment.

Alright, flashbang time. I reach into the bandoleer on my waist and she immediately attacks, but again I don't need two hands to block her blows, so as her attacks come I plant my feet and open my senses to the Force, and to her movements while my other hand reaches for a flashbang. I activate it, and toss it into the air above me.

But, she's smarter than that and jumps back, covering her eyes with her arm as the flashbang detonates and I surge forward to press the attack. She barely manages to block and for a moment I think I have her, then the flash is gone and her sight is back.

Flashbangs aren't going to be effective then, unless I can manage to take advantage of her brief blindness, but do I want to kill her or capture her?

Ousan is obviously her master, or teacher, or whatever rank he holds above her and it shows by how his aura has become a pit, an empty blackness that seems to suck all light into it. He and Master Tavik are currently going all out and wow, I have a way to go, lightning is being thrown around and their lightsabers are flashing so fast that I can barely see them. A way to go indeed.

"You could surrender, you technically haven't done anything the Republic can charge you for, and the Dark Side hasn't claimed you yet. There's still hope for you." I really, really don't want to kill her, I know I haven't been able to be consistent in my ability to spare my opponents but I still want to try, to make the effort. Her smile isn't cruel, nor sad, but there is an emotion behind it, glee, happiness? I can't tell.

"Not a chance, Jedi, the destructive power I wield is just a taste of what the Dark Side can give me, and I want to see its full potential. There's no power for me in the Jedi way." She begins to circle around me and I match her, breathe in and breathe out, use the moment to rest and center yourself.

"You could join us, Viera? I can see the darkness within you, the fear, the desire. You would do well as one of us, Master Ousan would accept you for sure and the three of us could overpower your Master easily enough." I sigh and let the Force flow through me, calm and centered. I know the fear she's talking about.

I've had to deal with it for years, I know the dangers coming, I've made friends and companions, people whose deaths I am aware of, and I want none of it to happen. The desire to see them alive and well, the fear for their safety, the fear of my own death. I know it's there and I want nothing of it. The Dark Side will give me no comfort, no escape from that, it will only feed it.

"Not a chance, I promise to defeat you as painlessly as possible, though you may surrender whenever you like." She scowls and we rush forward to meet each other in battle again. Okay, so plan, plan I need a plan. Jar'Kai maybe? I grab the second lightsaber from my vest and ignite it.

I've trained further in Jar'Kai and with her apparent aversion to striking heavy blows, I don't think she'll be able to take advantage of the sacrifice in strength. And now it begins, I strike out with both sabers. That seems to be working, she's backpedaling quickly and I take advantage, forcing her on the defensive.

I just need to force her into a trap and disarm her, with two lightsabers at her throat I imagine she'll be much more open to surrendering peacefully. Our blades clash and I press forward to take the advantage.

The force blares in my mind, a glare of power as she gathers the Force around her, pushing out and I can see it even as it slams into me, no chance to dodge. It lifts me off my feet and sends me sailing. There's an impact and then a searing pain in my back, oh I've hit the conveyer belt, pain lances through my body but I manage to roll out of the way just before Ysanne's strike lands home.

I lash out and force her to back up, taking the moment to stand, that hurt a lot. But I've been trained for this, the Force can suppress such pain, withdraw myself inward and become blind to the ails of my body. I'm really liking that technique now.

Oh, where has my bandoleer gone? It's over by the conveyor belt, the strap broke, probably when I hit the conveyor belt. Hm, I can do something with that, maybe, I'll have to figure it out later. Then she's on me again, how's Master Tavik doing?

They're still going at it over there, I can see great gouges cut into the floor, all over the place. Tyro is still cowering in the nearby backroom and I can't focus enough to see what's going on upstairs with Ehruss and the others.

"Focus, Jedi! I won't defeat you distracted." You won't defeat me at all, if I have anything to say about it, I catch her blade on my left, swing with my right and marvel as she flips and disengages me, coming to land behind me and ready to block even as I swing around to catch her. I thrust my sabers forward and she ducks under.

Okay, I think I have a plan, just need to position her just right. Steadying myself I begin to press forward again, swiping and blocking but also shifting to block her attempts to move in the direction of the door, I need her back to the conveyor belt. She wants to fight me, and she'll get it, as much as I hate to admit it, this is fun, there is a part of me that enjoys this rush of adrenaline.

The crack and hiss of lightsabers clashing together, the desperate strikes and pivots to avoid death. I feel alive in a way that's hard to explain, like a burst of sunlight shining down on me, invigorating my every blow and giving speed to my movement. She doesn't stand a chance, I've won the fight, it's just a matter of getting to there.

She's in front of the conveyor belt now, my bandoleer is behind her, maybe five meters away? I can see the thermal detonators inside, there's plenty of them. I don't exactly know how many I need for this to work and it's a simple matter to focus and activate them all. Then I engage, darting left and right to prevent her from slipping away and engaging her in lightsaber combat.

When the bandoleer detonates, the force of it is enough to send Ysanne off balance and I step into her guard, bringing my knee up to knock the wind out of her. She stumbles back and I batter at her, the exhilaration is intoxicating, I have her. One saber knocks her lightsaber high and the other sweeps out, a cry of pain and her left-hand drops, the lightsaber still clutched in it smoking.

Wait, what? All at once I come crashing back to myself, the pain in my back is still there, lancing through my body, sweat is beading on my forehead and I look down at the severed hand, even as she cries out in pain and rage. I didn't mean to do that, I wanted the lightsaber, not her hand. But I aimed for it nonetheless.

"Agh! You cut my hand off! You bitch!" Language, also sorry I didn't mean to but nonetheless I got the result I wanted, her defeated and alive.

"Sorry about that, I was aiming for your weapon. Surrender, and I'll see that you get medical treatment." That'll happen anyways but hey, incentives to give up. She tries to stand but I press one of my lightsabers closer and she settles back down.

I've won this, she isn't getting away. Barring some miracle she isn't escaping uncaptured.

"So, you were talking to me about the power of the Dark Side? I believe I have proved you wrong, Ysanne. It's not too late for you to take a better path." I can see her anger flare, she's mad, damn it, no. Reject the dark path, please? I don't want my first try at redeeming a Dark Side user to go this badly.

There's a great shearing sound and a familiar cry behind me, oh come on, no! I turn just enough to see the other end of the room.

Master Tavik is pinned down by what looks like debris of the upper walkway, it's pinned him below the waste. Ousan is standing over him, lightsaber raised and ready to strike. There's a surge in the Force, dark power coiled like a spring and suddenly I'm flying forward, sliding across the ground. As soon as I stand I look back and Ysanne is sprinting towards the door, she took her hand with her. I want to chase her, every instinct urges me to but I ignore them, turning to Master Tavik.

I'll let her escape any day if it means keeping him alive. Both lightsabers ignited I make my charge. Ousan blocks easily and presses the attack on me with a flurry of blows that has me backpedaling desperately.

I have no hope of winning, I'm just buying time, time for Master Tavik to unpin himself and come to join me. A blow sends one of my lightsabers sailing out of my hand and I'm admittedly glad for it, I take my remaining lightsaber with both hands and focus on the defense.

"So, Ysanne left me, she was always the cowardly sort. Too willing to run when faced with true danger. I shall punish her failure later, for now I'll slay you and your Master." I don't bother replying, I can't really, too much focus is on blocking.

He swings high and I block, barely keeping his blow from forcing my own lightsaber back into me, the heat from it burns at my face and I can feel the fear, come on Master, unpin yourself. My impromptu duel ends before it's really begun and in a single swipe he's batted my lightsaber away.

Then, there's pain, unimaginable pain, lighting pours into me, sparked from his hands as I scream. The force of it is suffused into me, coursing through me and I'm lifted off my feet and sent spiraling into the air, landing some feet away.

There's a lack of awareness then, I'm smoking, charred and burnt flesh, and oh how I hurt. I don't think the lightning hit me for that long but it was enough. I'm trying to find my feet, but every few seconds my limbs jolt and eventually I just have to settle in for lying there. Why am I not dead? It takes effort but I shift my attention to Ousan.

Oh, Master Tavik is back up and he is fighting fiercely, go him! Okay, breathe in, and breathe out. Focus on the Force, the twinges of pain are still there and it's tough but I can focus, I can manage that at least. The Sun, think of the sun, rays bathing me in warmth and light. Let the pain drift away, slowly, slowly.

Luminous beings are we, not this crude flesh. Just, stand up, slowly. There's a conveyor belt nearby, use it to find your footing and support you. The pain is receding, not that it's actually gone but I'm slowly managing to bring it back under control with the Force, where's my lightsaber? One is over there, the other is halfway across the room, I don't really trust my ability to call it to me right now, I'll just have to go for it myself.

I slowly easy myself around the conveyor belt, reaching for my saber and its grip is comforting enough to invigorate me slightly.

They're both still going at it and I sigh, walking slowly over to them. Lightsaber raised, as Master Tavik backs up beside me, Ousan is across from the two of us and now its two on one.

Well, one and a half versus one if I'm honest. I just want to be enough of a distraction to allow Master Tavik to kill him, I'd be satisfied with that.

Tyro has eased out of the backroom, seems he's much more confident in his victory now, has he come to gloat?

"This is the end for you, Jedi! My new guard is more than powerful enough to handle you. Do it Ousan! I'll see you well rewarded for killing them, money, slaves, power? I'll give you whatever you want." Ousan doesn't move but he shows no signs of not wanting to kill us. Master Tavik shakes his head.

"Kill us and more Jedi will come, and next time it'll be a team of Knights and Masters, this won't last. Eventually you'll fall. If you can beat us here." I'm fine with talking here, just give me more time to rest, please and thank you.

Ousan shrugs but there's something in his eyes, a cruel glee that breaks through the deadness. I'm a bit worried now, what is he planning.

"I know I can beat you here, Jedi, even if I fall, you won't succeed here." And then before either of us can react, he turns and in one stroke beheads Tyro Vang. Master Tavik and I both surge forward, pain momentarily forgotten as we engage him in combat.

It's pointless now, everything we did here was pointless, he's dead and the information he had dead with him. We don't have near enough time to search his data files if he even had anything incriminating in them.

Ousan matches us blow for blow, battering aside my strikes and blocking Master Tavik with ease. But it's still two on one and he has to deal with two attacks at the same time instead of one. He's slipping, slowly but surely and it's given me some hope, strength to keep attacking. I want him dead, he has to die. I don't care that Ysanne escaped but he has to die.

The pain in my chest is coming back, I can't keep this up, I strike low for his legs and he leaps over it, blocking Master Tavik's blade as he descends and for a moment I want to despair.

Then a lightsaber blade extends through his chest and his attack is halted. What! Who! How? Is that my other saber? It is my other lightsaber, go me, and go Master Tavik for sensing it and using it to kill the bad guy.

And like that, my adrenaline is gone and my knees give out, Master Tavik catches me as I drop. I'm out, thanks for playing everybody, I can't bring myself to even move. Props to Master Tavik though, he picks me up with little to no effort, even after all of this. But then again, he might just be using Curato Salva better than me and he's hurting just as much.

"Hang on padawan, we're getting out of here, just rest and let me do the rest." Okay, I can do that.

"The other one, she escaped." I mumble as he picks up his pace and heads for the elevator.

"Don't worry about it, she can be tracked down later, right now we're going to get up and get out of here." Then he opens his comlink and starts speaking into it but I don't hear the words, my energy is gone, it's all a buzz.

I try to mumble a reply, something, anything but I can't move my mouth, everything's drifting away and I feel weightless.

Then darkness and I gladly drift off into unconsciousness.


	21. Interlude V

Dooku observed their handiwork from the bridge of the Invincible, Ranulph and Jace were busy commanding the ongoing battle that marked a significant point in this little endeavor. Half squadrons of turbostorm gunships flew across the viewport, chased by Aurek strikefighters, turbolasers tore apart the space around them as Ranulph's newly formed fleet engaged the pirate band they'd pinned between them and the planet.

It had been a good plan that they had come up with. When they first got in contact with Cham Syndulla, those six months ago he had explained in detail the pattern the pirates and slavers had established in their relationship with Ryloth. Some of the more enterprising slavers had done a census of the population in the various cities and villages of Ryloth to determine not only population size but generational demographics.

It was easier to determine when it was time to come collect their 'tribute' when the sons and daughters of Ryloth had become old enough to be worth something on the slave markets. That had never been the limit of their slaving but it was the bulk of it. The people of Ryloth had not been told that it was the reason for the census but they had figured out the pattern easily enough.

So, when Cham told them in the upcoming months there would be another 'collection', the opportunity was one they almost literally could not afford to miss. Cham would accept no less for the support of himself and his people.

He had asked for other things as well, much of Ryloth's economy relied on the production of Ryll on the black markets of the galaxy. Bringing Ryloth into the Republic more firmly and establishing a more permanent Republic presence on Ryloth would necessitate the end of the Ryll industry. The problem was that it would necessarily damn the Twi'lek people to poverty or shady underground business for years, potentially decades.

Cham would have none of that, if there was an alliance to be made, there would also need to be consideration for what came after his people were safe. Ranulph had been surprisingly agreeable and had made a considerable offer. Ranulph had gone to his cousin Fane, who had taken over his role on the executive board of Quintad Orbital Manufacturing. After negotiating between QOM and Rendili Stardrive, an agreement had been reached to slowly begin turning Ryloth into one of the Outer Rim's premier shipbuilding and military hardware manufacturing centers.

There had been tenuous negotiations between them over what to entice the companies to move to Ryloth but eventually they had all managed to agree to giving QOM and RSD monopolies on Ryloth's markets and the right to pay lower wages for twenty years in exchange for exclusively hiring Twi'leks. It wasn't a spectacular deal but compared to before, it was perfect for Cham.

Dooku himself had gone to Garm and his brother Doran, the current Count of Serenno to gain their aid. Garm had been the easiest to convince, they were still on good terms and the prospect of 'adventure' in the Outer Rim had excited him. He had promised to round up whatever volunteers he could manage.

His brother had been harder, unsurprising considering his duties as Count, but Dooku had personally gone to every major noble family and worked to convince them to support the endeavor, mostly it had been done by enticing them with the pageantry and nobility of sending their sons and daughters to the Anaxes or Carida academies and the promising officer positions they could earn for themselves.

In the end, the resources earned had paid dividends. He watched a pair of CR90 Corvettes shoot out across the battle line, the Arrow and Arbiter, Dooku didn't know where Garm had managed to find and crew those corvettes but they were proving valuable. More important were the Corellian pilots who had volunteered, filling their desperate need for fighter pilots.

Serenno's support had come in funding, a generous donation of credits had allowed them to purchase fighters, ships, blasters, uniforms and more that were needed.

But it was Ryloth itself that had provided the most support. Cham had not disappointed, he'd gone to his people, campaigned across the planet and rallied his support. And out they came, men and women, young and old had come by the thousands. Desperation drove them, Dooku could sense it in them. The fear and anger, the desire for a better life for them or their kin.

Whatever the reason, Ranulph didn't turn them away, they were crewing ships, piloting fighters, serving as infantry and medics. Ryloth was ready for war, the simmering anger had been let loose.

And so, they prepared and trained, waiting for the right moment. When the day came for the slavers return, they had laid their trap. Ranulph had hid his fleet behind one of Ryloth's moons and scattered squads of infantry across Ryloth to await them. When the slavers landed, they found themselves facing an armed populace, supported by experienced troopers. Repelling them had taken almost no effort, unprepared or such a level of resistance as they were.

It wasn't long before more came, better armed and ready for battle. They had launched several starfighter squadrons from the planet and after a fierce battle, repelled that attack as well, inflicting severe casualties. Then they came with a great force of modified freighters and gunships, small frigates and individual fighters.

Then, the trap was sprung and the ROSF attacked, fighters screamed across space to hit the pirates from behind, the fleet right behind them, turbolasers firing. The slaughter was proof enough of their success.

"Their flagship is moving toward us, focus fire, call the Sojourn and Ajax forward to support." Jace ordered and Dooku looked out the viewport to the only troubling part of this battle.

The Rendili dreadnaught advanced steadily towards them, answering their turbolasers with its own and matching them shot for shot. Where these pirates had managed to acquire one of these vessels he did not know but it was proving effective.

Privately, Dooku was betting on the Hutts, they had enough wealth and supplies to arm such a vessel. That ship could match the Invincible shot for shot and then some.

The Sojourn and Ajax, both Hammerhead cruisers, would give them much needed support but things were about to get strained.

Even as he said that, the ship rumbled ominously and Dooku reached for his lightsaber, what was that?

"Jace, what was that, it wasn't turbolaser fire." Ranulph shared his worries though the man was keeping his concern hidden. Jace turned to the communications console.

"Ensign, status report?" Ensign Vekarr's hands danced across the terminal, listening to the incoming reports through her comlink before shaking. Dooku didn't need to be a Jedi to sense the fear suddenly present.

"Sir, we've been boarded. Enemy pirates have appeared on Decks C through F. I'm getting scattered reports of Mandalorians among them." And now Dooku understood he fear well enough. Jace cursed, opening his own comlink.

"Master Sifo-Dyas, Lieutenant Vance, we have boarders, Mandalorians with them, assemble the security teams and repel them immediately, they can't be allowed to cause any damage." Sifo-Dyas could handle that, he would remain on the bridge just in case. But Mandalorians? Someone must have offered a considerable sum of money to get Mandalorians to work with pirates and slavers. Still, something worried him about this situation.

Another boom rocked the ship and this time he did ignite his lightsaber, the brilliant blue blade casting its glow across the bridge. That had been on this level, he turned to Jace and offered the man a quick nod.

"They won't get past me." Then he strode through the door and locked it behind him, waiting. He didn't have to wait long as four Mandalorians rounded the corner and stopped before him, the one in front seemed to be the leader if the arrogant way he carried himself was any indication.

Dooku would be all too glad to disabuse him of that confidence. Still, he stepped forward, right foot forward in traditional Makeshi stance, left hand behind his back and saber held up in front of him.

"I am Jedi Master Dooku, turn back at once or face the consequences of your actions. You won't be the first Mandalorians I have defeated, nor the last." The lead Mandalorian laughed, the metallic tint of his voice giving him a robotic tone.

"Yes, at Galidraan right? I saw your handiwork, you did me a favor there so I'll make your death quick. Master Dooku, know that Tor Vizla ended your life." Then the Mandalorian, Tor, took a metal hilt from his waist and ignited it. The thin black blade igniting before him and for a moment Dooku was stunned, a lightsaber?

"Surprised, Jedi? I imagine so, this lightsaber was forged by a Mandalorian Jedi millennia ago and was stolen by my ancestors from your Jedi Temple. Many Jedi have died on its blade, and now I'll add one more." Dooku smirked, this man thought to outduel him? Putting this Mandalorian in his place would be a treat.

"Very well then, Mandalorian. Once I defeat you, that blade will be returned to the Temple where it belongs." With a flourish, he pointed his lightsaber at Tor and beckoned him forwards. Tor dropped into an unfamiliar stance, brutish and barbaric before advancing.

"Die, Jedi!" And Dooku met Tor's blade with his own.

The battle was on.


	22. Interlude VI

The Temple had changed much, in his absence, the Room of a Thousand Fountains had grown. The last time he had been here, thousands of years ago, it had been a small thing. From where he sat, in a grove of trees and flowers that surrounded him with life, Ood Bnar understood this now more than ever.

And wasn't that something he was quickly becoming used to, he had been asleep for thousands of years on Ossus, resting, recovering his strength. He had awoken to an unfamiliar galaxy.

And an unfamiliar Order. It was, a natural thing for doctrine to change over time but the lack of familiarity in the Order's manner of operation had confused him.

"Master Bnar, something troubling you, is there?" He stood and turned to face the venerable Grandmaster of the Order. Yoda had been an odd sight for him at first, his species did not tend to Force-sensitivity and to think there were two of them in the Order, both on the Council and one the Grandmaster was surprising indeed.

"Oh, Master Yoda, I was simply contemplating life and the Order." Yoda nodded and slowly walked forward, leaning on his walking stick. Yoda took a seat next to him and Ood Bnar sat back down as well.

For a moment, there were no words between them and the flowing water, the wind flowing through the trees and grass was the only noise around them. If he reached out with the Force, he could sense other Jedi meditating in the gardens or by the various fountains scattered about. If he expanded his senses further he could feel the broader Temple. His rescuer was still in the Halls of Healing, he would visit later. Further on he could sense the younglings going about their training.

"Master Yoda, forgive my doubt, but I do not see the point in taking infants for training. Surely the Order is not that strapped for members." Master Nu had explained much of the changes he had missed during their talks, but understanding of the reasoning had been lacking.

"A change, Ruusan necessitated it is, older students, too dangerous it was deemed to train."

"But, to take children so young, and the right being embedded into law, does it not create a disconnect between the Order and the galaxy we protect? No parent truly accepts losing their children in such a way, removing such connections risks distancing us from the rest of the Galaxy." Truth be told, he didn't really mind taking young children as padawans but infants seemed another matter, and to have it be an enforced law of the Republic. He saw no good in that.

"Dangerous it is, for those touched by the Force to be left untrained, left alone, a danger they may cause. The reemergence of the Black Knights indicative of this, it is. Older students, not ready they are, a Jedi's life is service, prepared for the dangers and responsibilities they are not, too fearful." Ood Bnar turned to face the diminutive Grandmaster and considered his response.

"Perhaps so, but if they are not allowed to form attachments to the galaxy around them, to live in harmony with it, then is their justice, their altruism done through duty or actual desire to do good? Non-attachment certainly has its value but so does attachment, there must be a balance between honoring the Force and its manifestations." He paused to collect his thoughts and Yoda patiently waited for him to continue.

"The Jedi of my day were free to travel the galaxy, form bonds and relationships with the people they met, understand and live in harmony with life around them. How can we understand the people we are supposed to help, connect with them if we seclude ourselves away in the Temple and force ourselves to not form bonds of friendship and love?" He didn't understand that, Nomi Sunrider and Naela had many friends, both Jedi and not, they had been powerful, loyal Jedi. Yoda shook his head and rapped his cane on the grass to emphasize his point.

"Distractions these are, drawing one's gaze away from the Force and towards a dark path. Ulic Qel-Droma, Exar Kun, Revan, and Malak? Taught in such a way they were, saw their darkness Master Jeth, Master Baas, and Master Zhar did not." Ood turned back to the trees in front of them, watching them sway in the breeze.

"You describe failings of the teachers not necessarily the teachings. I knew Exar Kun and Ulic Qel-Droma personally, their fall was tragic but such things were not predictable." Yoda thumped his cane on the ground and snorted.

"Because of their attachments, they did not see. Blinded by attachment and pride of their students they were." Ood Bnar took a moment to center himself, that statement had more weight than he liked to admit, they had all trained Ulic or Exar Kun at some point, and if he was honest, he'd had his suspicions of both.

"And what has been wrought by the Order now? This peace has been built by the efforts of Jedi who believed similarly as I do? Could all this have been possible without the Jedi of my era? Too many of the Jedi today seem more droid than organic. They don't understand empathy, not truly, they seem to act more out of duty than empathy. They do not understand the people they aid and the people they aid do not understand them." He sighed.

"The Force is life itself, permeating everything and everyone. How can we truly understand the Force if we do not live, do not express ourselves in more than meditation? If we do not laugh, or cry, mourn loved ones and celebrate for those who still live. If we do not love and nurture families and friends, how can we do the same to those who need aid?" Yoda shook his head and Ood suppressed the flash of annoyance.

"Exar Kun and Ulic Qel-Droma, Revan and Malak, that is where such teachings lead, reckless and destructive too easily one becomes when one does not understand discipline and how to let go. Too afraid of the ones they love and care for dying, built upon such teachings our peace was, but maintained it this Order has and continue to maintain it we shall, no more do young Jedi suffer such tragedies and depart down the dark path. Peace there has been for a thousand years under our doctrine." Ood Bnar sighed, he didn't quite agree but could not deny it.

"I shall concede the point for now, but even you cannot deny the Order has become too involved in the politics of the Senate, certainly procedure and bureaucracy, are not what the Order is here for?" Yoda snorted, a rueful smile on his face.

"The forms and reports I fill out, enjoyable they are not. Miss, I, the days when oversight of the Order was limited, remember do I, the changes." Ood laughed softly and shook his head.

"If only we could find a means to balance these responsibilities." Yoda hooted and fell back to stare up at the artificial sky.

"Grandmaster, I would name, the one who could manage that." And then they both laughed and enjoyed the relaxing atmosphere and the momentary break. Ood would debate with him some more later.

He had to think.


	23. Interlude VII

"A toast, gentlemen, to the Republic." Valorum raised his glass of Chandrial wine and his fellows joined him, Senators all of them, friends and allies, new and old. This party of Kalpana's was as always, a good chance to catch up, discuss events and happenings in the galaxy.

"To the Republic! May it remain peaceful and prosperous for many generations to come." Another toast, and another as each Senator made their own toast. Formalities were quick and then it was onto discussion, gossip was rampant in the Capital and had been for the past week.

"Did you hear what happened at Ryloth." One Senator said, holding his glass of wine up for another sip and to his left, Horox chuckled. The Anx Senator took a slow sip of his brandy and sighed, setting his glass gently down before speaking.

"Indeed, there is hardly anyone who hasn't. Orn Free Taa is in a rage over not being consulted first. To hear him say it, Ranulph has insulted him by not obtaining his approval first." Another Senator, snorted disdainfully, leaning back in his seat.

"He's worried for his position and why shouldn't he be. That Cham Syndulla fellow is being called the Hero of Ryloth for his part in the whole endeavor. Ranulph's right below him in terms of popularity."

Valorum frowned, Tarkin, he'd hoped the man would have learned something from Troiken. All of those lives lost from his vigilante carelessness and he'd instead decided to put even more effort into it. The fact that he was having more success than before was irrelevant.

He'd given the pirates and criminals of the Outer Rim a bloody nose, but they were hardly defeated, they would retaliate and it would be bloody. He only hoped that the effects would be limited.

"I've heard that the Ojoster Sector has joined his movement, Dac as well. He's gained some ground in the Outer Rim. Not to mention Balamak, Bimmissaari and Trevi IV in the Mid Rim." Horox said slowly.

And it seemed like Ryloth was set to join him as well, or at least the populace. With the Senatorial election coming up soon and Orn Free Taa's position so tenuous it was entirely possible he could lose to this Cham Syndulla.

"But, this has proven the usefulness of an expanded presence in the Outer Rim. If we could get Ranulph and his militia to put themselves under the Judicial Forces, he could work freely in the Outer Rim." Horox sighed and shook his head.

"No chance of that, Ranulph won't settle for anything less than a restored Republic military. He's too stubborn to accept anything else and as long as he's technically operating within the law he's fine." Valorum sighed.

"Yes, but what happens when all those disparate bands of pirates and slavers decide to join forces and strike back? What happens when the Hutts take offense to their profits being impacted? We don't have the power to throw them back, not without consequence." The conversation was quickly becoming too much for him and he finished the last of his wine before standing.

"Excuse me gentlemen, I feel the urge to wander." He excused himself, the wine and talk of Tarkin had left him antsy and he'd decided he needed a walk.

The veranda of their banquet hall was more crowded than he'd have liked, but he'd managed to find himself a quiet spot where no one bothered him. He looked out over the Coruscant night, countless lights in the distance. The sound dampening field around the building cut off the speeders and advertisements that had come to mark Coruscant's nightlife. Now, in the relative quiet, with only the sound of sweet music echoing across the room. Valorum felt lonely, so used to the sound, the noise, the life around him.

"Senator Valorum, what brings you out here tonight." He turned to face the newcomer and offered a polite smile.

"Senator Palpatine, a pleasure, I just came here for some peace and quiet." Not so much peace now, though he immediately felt guilty. Palpatine was not the source of his ire and deserved none of it. Palpatine offered an easy smile, friendly and welcoming.

"I imagine so, forgive my presumption Senator but you seem uncomfortable. Ah, am I causing you trouble, forgive me I will leave if you wish." Valorum shook his head and waved him forward.

"No, it's fine, I'm just a little troubled by recent events." Palpatine stepped forward and leaned on the balcony beside him, staring out into the night.

"By recent events, you mean Senator Tarkin and the battle over Ryloth?" As always, he proved perceptive, or perhaps his antagonistic relationship with Tarkin was just that well known.

"Yes, damn the man, his gallivanting through the Outer Rim will only invite more bloodshed and reprisals from the pirates he is attacking. This is not the way to go about maintaining peace." Palpatine nodded sympathetically.

"Ranulph is acting out of his own convictions, but yes how long can this go before he invites dangerous reprisals from the more…. powerful factions of the criminal world? What violent wars could be waged over this." He was right and Valorum felt his anger flare, righteous indignation at the trouble Tarkin was inviting.

"He could end up at war with the Hutts if his efforts continue, and then what? He does not have the strength to face the Hutt Cartels and I do not believe for a second that the Hutts would spare the rest of the Republic from their wrath."

"I hear that he has opened talks with the representatives of Carida, Anaxes, and Agamar as well. It seems his victory at Ryloth has won back the respect of his faction." Valorum rolled his eyes, holding back his anger.

"Warmongers and armchair generals the lot of them, they have no understanding of the threat a full-scale war would have on the Republic." Palpatine sighed, looking pained at the thought.

"Yes, and it is unfortunate that innocents will suffer for their play war. If only something could be done to restrain their effects. But, divided as the Senate is, I fear no sanctions will be agreed too against Eriadu." And Palpatine was unfortunately correct, something had to be done.

"If I may, Senator Valorum, in my discussions with Magister Damask he related to me a story of a group of cloners on a faraway world who have mastered their art. I could, with some effort get the name of these cloners from him. The Judicial Forces are certainly understaffed for their job and I have no doubt that an army of clones would be beneficial for them. And if a war with the Cartels come, they could bolster the innocents of the Republic against the recklessness of Tarkin's militia." A clone army? Valorum could see Palpatine's point but that would only give credence to Tarkin's views.

"No, the answer to this is not more violence, more war. We need a peaceful solution, I just need something to bring Tarkin to the table." Palpatine nodded, sympathetically and leaned on the railing beside him.

"Forgive me, Valorum, I am still inexperienced at being a Senator. You are correct, peace is as always preferable to war. I simply fear for the future." Valorum smiled and nodded his agreement.

"Yes, I share your fears but we will find a way. Somehow, someway."

He would remember these cloners though, just in case.


	24. Interlude VIII

She had not realized it when she had first arrived on Korriban, the significance of why she was there. When she had fled Tyro's compound, she had not really planned where she was going, only that she had to escape. Her hyperspace jump had been random coordinates, set in a panic. The Force had guided her here and for the longest time she had not known why.

It had been a place to lay low though, the planet was devoid of sentient life and since Ruusan, the Jedi had been content to let the planet fade from the memory of the galaxy at large. For a time, they had maintained an automated sensor station around the planet. But as the Outer Rim descended into lawlessness, pirates and smugglers who passed through Korriban on the way to other destinations destroyed the station.

The Jedi had rebuilt them, but had lacked both the resources and time to maintain a constant presence over Korriban and after repeated attempts, had simply given up maintaining a constant presence.

It had also given her time to reflect, on a lot of things. For the longest time, she'd traveled with Ousan across the galaxy after her induction into the Black Knights. She had learned everything from him, she'd had no family before him, she didn't remember how they'd died or even if they had. She had been so young when Ousan had found her, huddled under the rubble.

She Knelt upon the cold metal floor, his lightsaber hovering just above her shoulder, the heat dancing across her skin. That moment when she first felt the power of the Force. It was like awakening to the galaxy

'I, Ysanne Leoet, swear to uphold the mandate of the Black Knights. To oppose the Jedi where able, to honor the memory of the Sith, to seek power, to honor my Master, to instruct new initiates wisely, and should it be necessary, to die with honor and dignity in service to the cause.'

Then he had bid her rise, and it was the first time she'd seen him smile as he'd welcomed her to an order that had stood for almost two thousand years. And she had thanked him, promising to fulfill his expectations.

She remembered clearly leaving him there, on Terminus, and turning to run for her life. She had forsworn her vow to save her own skin. It was cowardice, defeated easily by a padawan when she could have taken advantage of the Jedi's distraction to kill her. She had instead fled for her life, abandoning her Master. A death sentence if any of her fellow Knights found out, there would be no safety with them anymore. She was alone, and in her loneliness emerged a hint of memory.

Vahl guide me, bathe me in your destructive power. Show me the path, that I may bring destruction upon my foes, venerate your gift, and spread your teachings.

It was a small thing, but alone on a ship, drowning in anger and self-loathing, the memory of her hand being severed haunting her dreams, a small comfort was better than no comfort at all. It became a mantra, and with each iteration she felt her sense of purpose return. And with that sense of purpose her anger began to focus.

She stared at the bandaged stump of her former hand, the pain had not gone away since her arrival. It had gotten stronger in fact, and with that pain came hatred. She hated the Jedi that did this to her and, with nothing else left, she began to hone that hatred.

However, as she did, a new sense emerged. A prick at the back of her mind, urging her onward, festering her hatred for the Jedi, quickly becoming the center of her focus. Then she began to meditate, the energy of Korriban suffused her with power and her senses expanded to the world around her.

Then, a revelation occurred. She wasn't sure what it meant but the sensation at the back of her mind became an impression. She grabbed a pack and some supplies from the cargo hold and set out.

Her landing site was some distance from the Valley of the Dark Lords, there was nothing there for her anymore and the canyon beyond it proved to have more cover for her ship. But as soon as she stepped off the ship, the Dark power around her seemed to become her guide, leading her onwards into a bend in the canyon and at the end, a cave system.

And in that cave system, lay a tomb. She didn't know whose tomb it was, not at first, but when she entered she found it dead but unpilfered. How this had happened she could not comprehend but the promise of dark power at the end drove her on.

Despite her elation, she found no relics, no texts of Sith knowledge, only empty halls and a single sealed door. Her lightsaber had no effect on it. She could not push or lift it open, and using the Force only made it shake.

A trove of power, she knew it had to be, and she couldn't even access it. All that time wasted, the power she wanted, needed, denied to her. It had tipped the cauldron of rage boiling within her. The Jedi, her hand, her weakness, her fear all boiled to a scream that shook the room around her.

But more importantly, it crumbled the door and she was inside. The chamber had been a repository: filled with ancient lightsabers and crude knives bathed in the power of darkness.

The most important treasure though—the one that had taken away her breath, swarmed her with dark power, and brought her to knees—was undoubtedly the Holocron. It was tall and pitch black, a triangular block of metal and knowledge unlike anything she had ever imagined.

All around her, the tomb glowed under the light of the hologram before her. She breathed in and basked in the power of the Dark Side around her, it was a fire under her skin, burning through her veins and coiling in her core.

And as she entered the chamber, it sprang to life and a woman rose out of the Holocron, a great spirit, full of power and harnessed rage. Ysanne found herself quaking at the raw power before her.

"Finally, someone at last has found my resting place, and yet I do not sense the Sith in you. What are you, child of darkness, only a Sith has right to my teachings." The command, and that was what it was, brought her back to the moment and she bowed before the hologram. She had no doubt that in this place of dark power, even dead and gone, this Sith had more than enough power to kill her.

"I am Ysanne Leoet, a member of the Black Knights." The spirit inclined her head curiously and the Dark Side swirled around them.

"I know not, who those are, it has been thousands of years since anyone has opened my tombs. You will tell me of what has happened. What is the state of the galaxy, do the Jedi still live?" She hurried to obey the Sith, recounting everything she knew of the galaxy and all the lore of the Black Knights that had been passed down before her.

This did not please the Sith spirit. The rage overwhelmed her, knocking her back into the wall and driving the air from her. She clutched at her throat, desperate for breath as she was floated up to face the spirit.

"You child, you will do. I have found myself in need of an apprentice, my teachings will endure, the Sith will endure. You will ensure this, or I will torment your spirit for all eternity. You will know no rest until my designs have been fulfilled." She was released and took in great gasps of air, hacking and clawing at the stone beneath her.

"I-I will do as you ask, Master, I-I want power. I want to be feared, I want, I want everything." The pain was receding, replaced by seething anger and desire. This, this was what she wanted, more than anything.

"Very good, apprentice. Rise and we shall begin your training immediately." Ysanne stood and as she faced the Sith spirit, she vowed that Viera Sarat would die by her hand, slowly and torturously. The Spirit seemed to sense her anger and dark purpose for the woman smiled.

"Then we will begin apprentice, you will be the instrument of my vengeance and in time you will be the new Marchioness of a reformed Black Legion."


	25. Interlude IX

Ranulph waited patiently as the Jedi Master sat down at the other end of the table. It had been so long since he'd been on Coruscant. His own office was unfamiliar to him, paintings and holos of Eriadu dotted the room. His aide set down a tray of drinks, caf and tea, and he took a cup of caf.

Jedi Master Clee Rhara took a cup of tea, and with a short bow the aide left. He took a moment to observe the Jedi cautiously, an older woman, not too much younger than himself. Bright orange hair wasn't uncommon to see in the galaxy, but her eyes were likewise orange. Ranulph was tempted to ask if she was from a near-human species but decided against it.

"Master Clee Rhara, thank you for coming to this meeting. Master Dooku has spoken highly of you." Dooku had agreed to arrange the meeting but had said she might not come. He was glad she did. Master Rhara took a sip of her tea before replying.

"Yes, Dooku told me about the reason for this meeting. You want to fund the academy on Centax-2." Ranulph hadn't asked Dooku to tell her that, but he was hardly against it. This made things easier.

"Yes, the Senate will argue and debate till the galaxy ends before approving any funds to this academy of yours. The Militarists and I, see the benefit of a centralized academy for pilots." He sipped at his caf, dark and bitter, just the way he liked it.

"Yes, well I'm not interested in this academy becoming a military institution like the Anaxes and Carida Academies. The academy will be a place for civilian pilots to earn their licenses, attract job offers and better themselves, not be drafted into your militia." Her eyes burned into him, and he sighed.

"Believe me, Master Rhara, I sympathize and agree with you. I had this very same argument with my fellows. My only wish is to see the Republic and its citizens strengthened, however I may do that. I fully accept that this academy will cater to all kinds of pilots." He set his cup down and reached for the datapad in his pocket.

"I and the Militarists are simply going to make an offer of employment for any pilots who are interested in our classes as well as scholarships for any pilots who wish to serve with my militia for a number of years." The Jedi frowned, taking the offered datapad and skimming through it.

"So, you're not requiring the military work, just making it beneficial to do so. I can see where you're going with this. I can't see any reason not to accept this then. We'll need to find instructors. I'll help out, and I know some Jedi who would gladly help but we won't be enough." He'd already handled that, and he offered his best reassuring smile.

"I've already handled that, Garm Bel Iblis has a lot of swing on Corellia and has agreed to round up any civilian pilots interested in a teaching job. I've also got a list of my own pilots who would be on hand to teach the more military classes." He had planned extensively for this meeting, going over every single possibility.

"I'll bring this proposition to the rest of the Jedi Starfighter Corps but I'm confident they'll be interested in this proposal. I can't promise anything however." She stood up and offered a hand which he took. Her grip was firm, and he allowed himself a small smile.

"Of course, Master Rhara, I will eagerly await your answer." Clee Rhara bowed and moved to the door.

"May the Force be with you, Senator Tarkin."

Tarkin returned to his desk and settled back in it. He continued to sip his cup of caf as he went through reports from Jace and Garm. There was a chime at the door, and he pressed the button to signal entry. His aide stepped into the room and picked up the tray.

"Senator Tarkin, you have a visitor. One, Ars Veruna from Naboo. He says he has a proposition for you." Ranulph frowned, the elected King of Naboo?

"Let him in. I'll hear him out." The aide bowed and departed. It couldn't hurt to hear him out; he would take whatever support he could get.


	26. Book one: Part Sixteen

I'm beginning to regret my desire to seek training with the Matukai, and accepting the Council's offer of coming here to train.

Muscles scream in pain as I maintain the handstand, I'm much more athletic than I was in my old life, necessity as much as anything else, but even still this is so difficult. Even more so to focus on my meditation. At first it was easy but eventually focusing became all but impossible. It doesn't help that this asshole next to me is just fine.

It's been an hour and he looks completely fine. What's more is that he must be in his fifties or sixties but Del Kimer looks at least twenty years younger. He's in perfect shape, and a bright spot in the Force. I don't know how to explain it better than that.

"Tiring Jedi? I'm not surprised, it's not what you're used to is it?" His voice is calm and level, no sign of fatigue at all. Beside me, Master Tavik is sweating. He's done better than me, but this is straining even him.

"Yes, just a little bit. We're no strangers to physical training but I've never thought to combine it with meditation." He says and I wonder why. Did no Jedi ever think to combine those two methods of training, or have the Matukai just found a super special way to do it?

Regardless, here we are, on Karvoss II, learning from the Matukai. A temperate world in the Core, Karvoss II is surprisingly sparse. A population of 600 million concentrated in several urban zones. It's also the headquarters of the Matukai order.

Granted there weren't more than two dozen people when we arrived there, several of them apprentices. How did it take that long for the Jedi to notice them and send a diplomatic party? Whatever, I'm just glad that they were willing to accept Jedi students, only two though. Master Tavik and I are technically here to form a stronger tie with the Matukai, but really, we're here to learn their techniques and bring them back to the Order.

I'm reasonably sure Del knows this but he doesn't seem to care that much. He's the current 'leader' of the Matukai and after a moment I remembered where I'd heard his name. That story of his encounter with Thame and Dooku was a lot funnier from his end than Qui-Gon's.

"How about you, padawan? Are you holding up?" I don't really trust myself to reply without falling over or letting my arms give out so I settle for breathing a little faster. Del chuckles and shakes his head, still fine.

"If you're tired, drop. There's no point to damaging your body out of desire to impress." Okay, I drop and let my tired muscles rest, oh yay! Master Tavik is still going and Del as before, is showing no signs of even tiring. I reach around for the special water bottle they gave us for the duration of our training but Ehruss grabs it first. She holds it over to me and I gladly take it. I don't know what's in the water exactly, but it's supposed to be good for soothing muscles and building them back up.

I drink half of the bottle in one go and achingly sit up to watch the two of them practice. I'd normally be a little worried about losing out on training but according to the Council we have a year before we're needed back, so there's plenty of time to learn.

Ehruss is standing beside me, weapon resting in her hands, she's taken her life debt very seriously. The Council decided in the end to allow her to follow me around but as I have been told, whatever legal problems she cause are mine. I'm fine with that, I've grown to like her company.

The Matukai headquarters is located on a strip of land about sixty miles from the nearest settlement. About forty miles to the north is a small mountain range that gets deep snow in the winter and thirty miles to the east is a gigantic lake. The Matukai compound is open with sets of interconnected housing blocs, dojos, a mess hall and infirmary. Despite that, there aren't a lot of people here.

Del said that some of their order spend most of their time out abroad in the galaxy but still the numbers he mentioned are tiny. If he's correct then there aren't more than sixty Matukai right now. Ridiculous is what it is, granted how many people know the Matukai exist, besides the Jedi?

That said, there seems to be a divide between the Matukai in terms of age. There are at least three Matukai I've seen here who look close to sixteen like me, a higher number in their twenties and the rest in the forties to sixties range. I don't understand why that is, but who knows maybe the Matukai off world balance it out.

On the other hand, though, Billibango came here! I know I told him about this place but I can't believe he made it. He's off travelling with his teacher right now, but if I'm lucky he'll pop back in later and I can say hi.

The time away from the Temple has given me to reflect on certain things. Which is good, because I've needed it.

I'm sixteen now, or at least the body I reside in is, I'm still not sure how to view myself right now. More and more my previous life seems to become distant. I've changed so much since coming here that the original me seems more and more a stranger. I'm technically forty years old, or my memories go that far back at least.

That leads me to another, depressing problem. Puberty sucks! I went through it once already and now it's in full swing again. Last year Master Che gathered the girls of my year together to instruct us in several techniques to use the Force to deal with maturity kicking in and for that I'm so grateful.

Seriously, I almost kissed her for all the benefit her lessons gave me. I'm getting taller though! I'm already more than five and a half feet tall, taller than my old life, yay. Of course, I've got another problem and being here has only made it worse

Water, water everywhere but none fit to drink! I am surrounded by men and women who are the pinnacle of athleticism, and I can only watch. Goddamn these hormones, If I have to continue avoiding staring at sweat-soaked, muscular bodies in form-fitting dress, I'll go insane! Granted, I'm not really that interested in pursuing a relationship for several reasons but this is an exercise of my patience and restraint.

It doesn't help that I asked Ehruss for advice on restraint, in a moment of weakness, and she has been remarkably unhelpful. I had to very quickly explain to Master Tavik why she was evaluating potential candidates for me. Even though he believed me when I told him it had been a misunderstanding, I still had to listen to him lecture on non-attachment.

Alright, I need to distract myself, back to training I go. I don't trust my arms to hold me up anymore, but I can still use my legs. Basic Matukai training is centered around the melding of physical and spiritual components. There's a lot of somatic rituals involved but one of their major training exercises is to adopt some physical position that is uncomfortable and focus on meditating through it.

I've got a lot of practice meditating but it's the uncomfortable position that's harder. I've been here three days and it's all been meditation so far. Alright, I lift one leg and place it against the other, holding it in place.

It's a bit of a balancing act, but that's easy for me. I couldn't hope to use the Ataru form if I didn't have good balance. Now, I turn my focus inwards, steadying my breathing to begin meditation. The Force is vibrant without me, sunlight warming me to my core, heat going up through the coils and veins of my very being.

An…idea has been taking shape within me, something that I only realized the true significance of now that I'm here. The Matukai do have the ability to strengthen one's connection to the Force. And the strength of such connections is important, because no matter how much Yoda stressed there is no try, you need a strong connection to the Force to be able to use it to the extent most Jedi and Sith do.

The Matukai usually get their members from people who weren't strong enough in the Force to attract Jedi attention and yet everyone I've sensed here has a good connection to the Force. They could do the flips, levitation and other Jedi stuff I do with training. And that gave me an exciting, and simultaneously terrifying thought.

Could I convince some of the Matukai to go to Alpheridies? There are, according to the last census, over a hundred million Miraluka living on Alpheridies. They're all Force sensitive but obviously not enough to be considered Jedi candidates.

But what if they could be? Would Matukai training be effective for the Miraluka as a society? I can't imagine why it wouldn't work on them, certainly it'd be generations before the expansive changes happened but just imagining millions of Miraluka strong in the Force is stunning.

The Miraluka as a society also have a natural shift towards the Light Side, apparently, it's something to do with our species ability to see with the Force and the collective, community-oriented culture. It's easy to spot a person being influenced by the Dark Side, unless they've learned to shield themselves, and work on fixing the issue, whatever it may be. So, I'm not too worried about countless Sith lords and other Dark Side adepts.

And if I could get Jedi training to them? I can't even imagine the effects Jedi numbering in the millions would have on the galaxy. There could be Jedi academies in every sector of the known galaxy, Jedi hunting down dark siders, acting as service corps assisting in every matter imaginable.

I just need to find a way to get the Matukai to go there, and get in contact with Master Altis and see if he's interested in the idea. Maybe see if I can find Master Aqinos and the Iron Knights. I think they went somewhere in the Rim, I'll need to see if there's any data on where he went.

"Ah, Master Kimer, may I ask a question?" He sighs and nods his head.

"Don't call me Master, I'm not a Jedi, but sure ask away kid."

"Why are there so few of you?" I'm really interested in knowing why they haven't gone to Alpheridies and become widespread enough to have enclaves on every planet.

"Because even though we can recruit from a wider pool than you Jedi doesn't mean there's a lot to go around. We find members where we can, and sometimes they come to us, but there just aren't a lot of Force sensitives that don't go to the Jedi." He sighs and I have to hold back my disbelief.

"You haven't thought to go to Alphredies? There's over a hundred million Miraluka there, all Force sensitive. You would never run out of members to train." How is it that the one Force using organization that can boost any Force sensitive never tried to work with the entirely Force-sensitive species?

By the look on his face and the shift in his aura, I imagine that he's just come to the same realization I did. He falls forward, his concentration broken and I sigh. I admit that with my meta knowledge that's an easier connection for me to make but really? Master Tavik seems to have come to the same realization.

"That's… I don't even know what to say to that padawan. It's an interesting idea, the thought of Alpheridies becoming a Force Nexus is a bit unnerving though." Ah, he does have a point. The presence of so many Force sensitives with such a strong connection to the Force would do odd things to the planet.

Granted, having a Light Side version of Korriban, though not so dead hopefully, has its appeal. The real problem is having the planet be a target for the Sith. Weighing the odds on that, I suppose. Maybe we could set up a system of Temple planting across the galaxy.

A Jedi Temple on every habitable planet sounds cool. Fuck you Sidious, Del starts laughing and I focus back on the present. No daydreaming, focus on the now.

"That's, hah, you know? I forgot that every Miraluka is Force-sensitive. They're either insular or nomadic." Alright, but now you know so what do you plan to do?

"And? Now that you know about this one step process to acquiring new potential members and or people to teach your techniques?" My body's alight with anticipation, it's hard to even comprehend the potential effects of this, for good or ill.

"I'll have to talk to the others about this, we're a pretty free-spirited group. If anyone's interested in the idea, I imagine they'll give it a go but I'm hardly going to make them." I shrug, fair enough, but the idea is there. Master Tavik seems amused.

"Huh, the Council will be debating that issue to the end of time, I imagine." He falls forward and gracefully flips to stand upright and Del does likewise.

"Why? You think they'll raise a fuss about it?" Oh, right, good point. Master Tavik shrugs and stretches his arms out idly.

"I can't say for sure, but probably not, the Academy on Alpheridies will be there to keep an eye on things but if you're even half as successful as you could be, it'll require some debate on how to go forward." Master Tavik says and I have to think a moment before I get what he's saying.

How would the Order's typical recruitment method work when a majority of the planet's population starts being born strong in the Force? There would have to be an allowance for the entire Miraluka species, so as to avoid depopulation. Granted, if we're lucky, that whole 'take children from their parents' provision will be gone by then.

I wonder if I could convince Ranulph, to try and end that? It'd be funny to see how Palpatine tries to work with that. It'd be a short-term loss for long term gain in the best outcome.

But this seems to be the end of training for the day, I put my leg down and groan softly at the soreness, that's going to hurt tomorrow. Del stretches, still not showing any sign of discomfort and I have to marvel at the level of stamina he possesses.

"Alright then, we'll pick up some more training tomorrow morning. You should get some rest, you'll need it." As if he needs to tell us, after today, sleep will be the sweetest relief. Master Tavik gives him a short bow and I mirror the action.

"We will, thank you Del." Master Tavik and I begin walking back to our room. Ehruss is right behind us, scanning the terrain for threats. I really need to find something for her to do for fun. Master Tavik sighs after a moment and speaks.

"I hope your idea works Padawan, it won't be a problem for my lifetime, or yours but more Force sensitives means more potential for them to fall to the Dark Side. I'll have to tell the Council about this so they can be prepared, but I won't mention your name. I'll spare you having to explain your reasoning before the Council." That's fair, there's plenty of things that could go wrong in the future, I'm just banking on the Miraluka's tendency to the Light helping.

"Thank you, Master, it's a toss of the dice I imagine but hey, if the Council knows about it in advance they can plan for it. Things will work out I imagine, they always do." He snorts and I resist laughing, things work out only after they go wrong.

Three weeks later and I'm feeling so much better and so much worse at the same time. Contradictions ahoy. Our training these three weeks has been mostly nonstop doing the same thing over and over. But I've been getting better at it, slightly. Ha hah, progress! Now it takes slightly longer for me to become exhausted to the point of dropping.

Del says we'll be moving on to martial arts introduction in about a week or two, and boy am I not ready to get my ass kicked repeatedly. On the other hand, when we go back to the Temple, I can finally beat Ilena at hand to hand. That is going to be exciting.

"My friend!" my cry is cut off as the air is squeezed out of me by four arms wrapped around me in what I'm sure is supposed to be a hug but is actually a slow method of torture.

Billibango doesn't seem to notice when I have to gasp for air after he releases me, or maybe he's ignoring it. I'm going to assume the former, just for his sake. I offer the Xexto man a smile and manage not to wince from the pain in my legs and arms.

"Good to see you again, Billibango. I know I told you about the Matukai but I didn't think you'd have made it here so quickly." He grins and nods enthusiastically.

"Indeed, after Troiken I made the trip here as fast as I could, Del Kimer allowed me to join and my teacher Xellon has been a dutiful instructor." He wanted to be a Jedi, right? I remember sending him this way because he wasn't nearly Force sensitive enough to make the attempt at the Almas Academy.

And boy has he changed, it's even more glaring looking at someone I knew before. He is strong in the Force now, not as sensitive as Master Tavik but he could easily be a Jedi with this level of sensitivity. So, the training works.

What is it going to do to me and Master Tavik then? I'm a bit concerned about that, would it be enough to put me on the radar of the Sith? I don't see why it would but the last thing I need is Sidious or Plagueis taking an interest in an up and coming Jedi padawan, for any reason.

"Del has also asked me to aid in your instruction my friend, I will be practicing the Matukai martial arts with you." Wait what? Me against the four armed, already trained martial arts guy? Oh, boy.

I am not prepared for this, but if it goes well, this could easily be the most productive training I ever get.


	27. Book one: Part Seventeen

It's been nearly six months since I arrived on Karvoss II, and the planet's winter has started to arrive. Snow isn't here yet but it will be soon; there's already a chill in the air, and there's fog with every breath. I didn't really bring any warmer clothes with me. No one here seems to have any.

The Matukai can adapt to just about any environment with the Force, whether that's raising or lowering their body temp or purging and immunizing themselves to poisons and illnesses. They also believe in a degree of sink or swim regarding their training. Del explained it as viewing the Force as a fire. When it's cold out, focus the Force on your body. Add wood to the fire, so to speak, and when it's cold do the opposite.

Well the Sun is a giant furnace technically? I'm already used to thinking of it that way, but applying it has proven more difficult than I'd like. I've could warm myself up a little but it's hard to focus on other things and be warm.

I duck low under a fist that would have knocked me senseless. I counter and throw a punch at my opponent only for him to gracefully slide away from it.

Goddamn Echani! My opponent smiles apologetically and roundhouses me to the chest before I can react. I stumble backwards, forced to block as he moves in. I've gotten faster and stronger since my training began, but he's still stronger and faster than me.

"Move your feet!" A sweeping kick to knock me down and I leap over it, angling backwards. I've learned the hard way not to try and jump over Tomas. He is faster than me and all too happy to punish me for it.

"Good, you didn't make the same mistake again. Don't leap over an opponent unless you have no other choice." I nod slowly, taking a moment to catch my breath.

I'm tired now, but only a little, and this spar has been going on for a straight hour. It's not a matter of physical conditioning, or rather it's not just physical conditioning. My physique has improved; I've noticed muscles building on my arms, legs, and my stomach. But that isn't nearly enough to justify this level of stamina.

As Del explained it, one can draw on the Force to increase one's strength, speed, and stamina. But where the Matukai and Jedi differ is that the Order has tended to see meditation and physical exercise as separate and distinct activities. The Matukai believe the opposite, that the two are intrinsically connected and have become complete masters of their body as a result. I can meditate for hours with no issue now, and it's only getting better.

Then we moved onto the martial arts. Billibango taught me what he could, forms and stances, methods of movement and the basics. But eventually it got to the point where neither of us were gaining anything from sparring against each other.

Enter Tomas, the Echani senior apprentice. He's seventeen but he's been here two years, and is entirely capable of kicking my ass up and down the training yard. I don't remember much about the Echani beyond some basics, I only played as a male exile once. But I remember very clearly their skill in unarmed and the whole communication through combat thing.

I step to the side of his fist and block the follow up punch only for him to grab hold of my wrist and pull me forward into a knee that nearly drives the wind from me. It takes some doing but I manage to get one foot into his guard and trip him.

My moment of victory is short lived as he recovers with a grace I'll probably never match, and his hand yanks on my own foot. Oh, there I go, flat on my back with his fist an inch from my face. I lost again, lasted twenty minutes longer, but still lost.

I can hear amused laughter from the sidelines and after a moment I chuckle as well. I imagine that I looked pretty amusing in the brief moment I thought I won. He offers me a hand and I take it, standing quickly. I'm a little out of breath but otherwise fine. Tomas claps me on the back, and while he doesn't smile, I can read his satisfaction in the way his aura shifts.

"Good work, Viera, you're getting better. You tend to lose focus midway through the spar though." I do tend to get lost in thought. I need to work on that, something to think about.

"I know, I'm working on it. One of these days, I will beat you though." I will, somehow. I want to beat him. It's a milestone for me here. He nods, completely serious.

"I imagine that will be the moment your training is completed then. I'm looking forward to that day." Ah, how nice of him. Behind us I can hear grass crunching as Cerone stands up.

"Remember the Etiquette rituals Tomas!" I sigh and reach out with the Force to pull his leg out from under him. Cerone recovers gracefully, the Cathar landing on his left hand and flipping back to a standing position.

Enter my second new friend, and an old friend of Tomas. The Echani sighs and steps back from me to a safe distance.

Apparently, the Echani have very specific etiquette rituals that are supposed to be observed between combatants. These rules are extra specific and strict when the two sparring are unrelated male and female. This includes standing a certain distance from each other when not sparring.

Cerone knows this and enjoys reminding his friend when he forgets. I don't really have any stake in this but if it bothers him then I'll abide by it.

"Nice try, but I'm more graceful than that." Cerone walks over towards us and I smirk.

"I know, Cats always land on their feet, right?" He growls something under his breath and I laugh. Cat jokes are true even in different universes. Billibango got called away for something in the Expansion region, Ehruss is out hunting, and Master Tavik is off training with Del Kimer and some of the other adults.

Leaving the three of us to our own training, which has so far amounted to meditation, sparring and occasionally eating poisonous berries to practice purging poisons. The Matukai apparently purposefully introduced a species of plant whose berries cause intense stomach pain but nothing else, so they could practice that part of their abilities.

"If you two are done, why don't we move to quarterstaffs?" Yes! I cheer silently, I can beat both of them with quarterstaffs. Melee is my jam.

"Heh, I guess it's fair, you beat her, it's only fair you let her beat you down." Tomas doesn't respond physically. I've noticed that he doesn't seem to make many facial expressions but you can tell his reaction by his eyes. He's about as annoyed as he ever gets.

"You and me first, Cerone. I'll teach you to watch your words." He laughs and goes for the quarterstaffs left by the tree. Our training area is an open field of grass with a few trees scattered about. The compound is about five miles to the east, to the north the terrain slopes until it hits the mountain.

I take the offered chance to rest and slide down to rest against the tree while Cerone and Tomas grab their weapons. There are two main purposes for this training, the first is preparation for the eventual forging of the Wan-shen, the Matukai primary weapon. The second is to practice hardening one's body for defense. These quarterstaffs are very durable and when used with the kind of strength a Matukai can produce, bruises and broken bones are entirely possible if you aren't careful.

I sigh and stretch my arms and legs as they begin. Neither of them is really talking, they're both so competitive with each other, especially with these. This is basically the only thing they're both on equal footing for, except against me.

The sound of wood on wood fills my ears as they engage in a flurry of blows, acrobatically dancing away from strikes when they don't just block, fast powerful blows that cause winces of pain when they connect. From the way their auras shift, they're both enjoying this perhaps a bit too much. Are they showing off or competing against each other, I can't tell, but I'm certainly enjoying watching them fight.

It reminds me of watching the older Jedi spar when I was an initiate, seeing all the fancy moves and tricks I didn't know yet, but knew I could maybe do one day. That sense of seeing what someone better at something than you could do, and knowing that if you trained hard enough, you could do it too.

I've noticed my connection to the Force becoming stronger as well, it wasn't something immediately noticeable but Master Tavik pointed out that I was brighter in his Force sight. A bit of meditation and I could feel it as well, it's like suddenly being able to hear or smell better in that my sensing is stronger. But it's hard to notice, I suppose if you're already strong in the Force it doesn't make much of a difference. Or at least, not much of a noticeable difference.

It's good to know that I could send Anakin here and not have him turn into a Force god or something like that. That presents a possibility for me when he eventually becomes someone I need to worry about. If I could get him here before he ever meets Palpatine, would he be safe? I'm not sure.

Also, wouldn't that negate Luke and Leia? Should I be worried about that, I'm starting to get to the point in my life here where I'm wondering about the ramification of preventing famous figures of the Star Wars mythos from being born and the impact that will cause. On the one hand if this all goes to shit, no Luke and Leia, but if everything ends up okay then it doesn't matter.

I feel bad about it though, even though I know objectively that it's for the best, and if there is some will to the universe that requires Luke and Leia to be born it will happen. Well if that is true, then I suspect the Republic will fall to Sidious no matter what. Fuck that then, I refuse to allow that to happen, Fate will not be my master.

Hm, the spar is getting a bit heated, I could add to it, but should I?

"Break a leg!" I shout and let them try to figure out whose side I'm on, go fight for my amusement! Tomas slams one end of his quarterstaff into Cerone's leg and he responds by slamming his own weapon into Tomas's chest. Ooh, that had to hurt.

I'm bored now. I've gotten so used to spending every hour of the day meditating or training that I feel listless and awkward when I don't have something productive to do. Man, I could never imagine feeling like this back home, granted this is a lot more fun than my old life was. I enjoy most of the things I do here. The conflict is fun and being able to serve a higher purpose as a Jedi is invigorating.

I grab my own quarterstaff and make my way over to them. They stop their spar and watch me curiously, I can see the discomfort in their aura. They are a bit annoyed that I'm interrupting their spar, but the smile on my face is just a little bit unnerving. I adopt a ready stance, holding my quarterstaff out.

"How do you boys, feel about a three-way spar?" They look at me and I chuckle softly when I realize my mistake. Woops, that wasn't the best choice of words. Ah, sometimes two auras are worth a priceless image.

"Let's just fight, alright?" After a moment, they nod and I wade into the middle, swinging at Tomas first, revenge for earlier! He blocks and lashes out with the other end. I step back and redirect his strike towards Cerone as he approaches.

The sound of battle stirs the adrenaline in me and I press forward, putting myself in between the two of them. They strike and I block, or dodge aside to let them strike each other. My own strikes hit legs, arms, and chests as our spar escalates.

I take a hit to the back of my left leg and it is only the Force applied resistance that keeps the pain from making my drop my weapon. I respond in kind to Cerone's thigh and he yowls. I take the moment and step back quickly, whirling around to strike him in the chest. He falls backwards and I press the attack on Tomas who retreats and gives ground to me. He's buying time for Cerone to recover and come back.

Can't let him do that, I feint an overhead strike and the minute he brings up his weapon to guard I reverse and slip into his guard, forcing his weapon from his hand and a kick knocks him back. Hah hah, now where's Cerone. I get the warning from the Force just before he tackles me, forcing me to the ground and my weapon from my hands.

Alright, so we're already devolving to a simple brawl? I brace my feet and hands against the ground and channel the Force to increase my strength as I kick upwards, flipping just enough so that he lands under me. His hands loosen just enough for me to slip out from his grip and as I stand, Tomas gets me in a headlock.

"Get off!" I elbow him roughly and struggle as he tries to maintain his grip. Cerone's back on his feet and tackles Tomas, freeing me to grapple with the two of them as our impromptu brawl begins to take form.

It's generally a free for all until one person gets too much headway and the others team up on them. After that things go back to normal and by the end of it, my whole body is sore and bruised again, but I don't regret a single bit of it.

I'm surprised by how much I missed this kind of socializing, it never happens in the Temple and all I have are vague memories of family vacations and my cousins wrestling on the muddy banks of a river I can't remember the name of.

By the end of it, night is approaching and with it the chill. The three of us all decide that freezing out here isn't anyone's idea of a good time and we all grab our weapons and begin the trek back to the compound. We're all laughing and regaling our highlights from the brawl as we go.

"So, half a year to go and you'll head back to that Temple of yours, Viera?" Cerone's got a split lip from where I headbutted him, but his natural healing will help him with that eventually. I nod, a year was all the Council gave us.

"Yeah, I'll go back to taking assignments from the Council and trying to become a Jedi Knight." I'm gonna miss this place, but it'll be good to see my other friends again, I feel like I can finally beat Ilena in hand to hand, man is that going to be satisfying.

"What about you two, what will you two when your training is done?" I don't know as much about these two as I'd like. We've discussed the bare basic of our lives outside Karvoss II. Tomas shrugs.

"I'm going to go back home and visit my family I guess. I have four older sisters to see pass their trials of adulthood. Then I guess I'll go for mine afterwards." Huh, four sisters, who'd have thought. Aren't the Echani rather matriarchal? A lot of societies here tend to be matriarchal, I wonder why. Cerone is quiet for a moment and the two of us give him a look. He sighs.

"I'll probably continue my travels. The Outer Rim is my home, I still want to see the galaxy." Hmm, worth a shot.

"You should go enlist with Tarkin's militia. They could use someone with your talent and there's plenty of places to go." I wonder if there's a way to integrate Force users into the Republic military? Cerone shakes his head and sighs.

"I'll think about it, but I'm not a soldier. I don't really care for organized armies, I like the freedom to go where I please and get involved in what I please. There're better fights that way." Fair enough, I can only imagine a drill sergeant yelling at him and getting tossed across the yard. But hey, I had to make the attempt.

"Have you ever considered not being a Jedi? You could stay here and be a Matukai if you liked, I'm going to miss not being able to see you once this is all said and done. I enjoy our spars." Aw, sweet of you Tomas. Hm, I couldn't imagine what I'd do if I had to leave the Order for any reason other than Palpatine taking over the galaxy and me having to go into hiding.

But it's certainly possible I get kicked out at some point for not towing certain party lines. I've already decided I don't care about taking multiple padawans or training Force-sensitives outside the Order. I imagine I can probably find a way to make it work, but it very well may not.

I've considered going to the Altisian Jedi if that happens, or perhaps starting my own group on Alpheridies, not sure how. I'd probably either wander around a bit or go join up with Tarkin myself. Or maybe, depending on when it happened, go find Anakin and keep him away from Palpatine's reach while teaching him.

"I have no idea, being a Jedi is all I know. I'm committed to sticking with it till the end. You know, you could be a Jedi yourself. Go apply at the Almas Academy in the Cularin system. They have a strict entrance requirement but I'm sure you could make it." He's got enough Force sensitivity to be a Jedi Master someday, he could make a good Jedi.

"I'll consider it, I have responsibilities to my family I have to fulfill, I won't leave them behind unless those responsibilities are fulfilled." That's fair.

The rest of the journey to the compound is mostly silent, interspersed with conversation about mundane topics. Master Tavik's already waiting for me and I recount my training to him. His day wasn't much different. We spend the next hour meditating and talking before retiring to prepare for the next day.


	28. Book one: Part Eighteen

Ah, it's good to be home. The Temple hanger is quiet at this time in the morning as the three of us arrived. We'll have to report to the Council first, or rather, Master Tavik will. I'm going to be hauling our stuff back to our quarters and then I'm free for the day.

I've got both our packs on my shoulder and I don't feel a thing. There are our clothes, datapads, and a disassembled wan-shen in those packs. It's not burdensome at all, this was the best training I've got so far. The number of things I can use what I've learned for is mind-numbing.

"Master Tavik, I'm heading off to our rooms, Ehruss will go with me. I'll see you later." He nods and the three of us part ways. Ehruss and I head towards our quarters and Master Tavik to the Council.

I still can't believe the shape I'm in. I never would have imagined being this fit in my old life, I like it. The Force enhanced stamina is nothing to slouch at either. I already know what I'm going to do with it, and it will be amazing.

"This Temple is brimming with life, so many smells." Ehruss says quietly; oh right, she never got to spend much time here before we went to Karvoss II. I shrug, turning down a corridor, past a pair of human Jedi who give Ehruss an odd look.

"I'm going to hit the training room once we've dropped off this stuff. You're free to follow me or go wander the Temple." She's probably one of the few non-Jedi to have such an extensive access to the Temple.

"I will follow you, Grashkowh." I shrug and continue on my way. She's free to do as she likes, and I enjoy her company. I don't see a reason to say no.

My room is as pristine and austere as I remember it. As I start unpacking my few possessions, I start reassembling the wan-shen stored away. At the end of my year, Del took me to the forge and instructed me on how to forge a wan-shen. The polearms not made of cortosis, but it's a pretty good metal regardless.

If I ever need to go undercover, it could be a good weapon to use I suppose. But hey, another souvenir, right? I wonder if that'll become a habit, I hope not.

That done, off to the training rooms! I want to test out my increased strength and speed on the sparring droids.

The Temple has a considerable number of remote droids, that can be programmed to use a variety of forms for practice. The droids are additionally modified for strength and speed settings to allow for species known for massive strength to get the best out of training.

I grab two training sabers from the locker and activate one of the droids from the console. Alright, I want the droid to use Shien, and I'll set the strength settings to Wookiee. The droid lights up as it'sactivated, and as I enter the ring it waits for a signal to begin. Ehruss takes a spot at the edge of the ring, far enough away to not be in danger.

I salute with my lightsaber and activate the blades. The droid responds to my lightsabers and the duel is on. I move in quickly and swipe at the droid with both sabers. Shien is not a subtle form, and the droid proves it batting at my lightsabers with significant power.

I'm not moved though; the Force strengthens me and our blades lock for a moment. The droid presses its considerable weight forwards and I hold my ground, it can't overpower me. That's telling, I bring one hand back and swing my saber low, towards the droids legs.

It pivots away and I press the attack, swinging one lightsaber high, and the other sideways to distract its guard. The clash of lightsaber on lightsaber rings in my ears, the droids training saber is twisted at an angle to catch both my blades.

Alright, coil the power in the legs and push forward, the motion forces the droid to stumble back under my onslaught. This is surprisingly easy, I hadn't been expecting this. Alright, how to work this then.

"Override code Aurek sixteen. Add adaptive combat protocols and activate Makashi programming." The droid whirrs silently and I stretch quickly to prepare myself.

"Override, shutdown code Aurek-one." Wait, who? I wasn't really paying attention to anything but the droid. I expand my senses outwards and turn to politely face whoever decided to interrupt my training.

"Oh, hello Master Bondara." The Twilek Battlemaster enters the training room as the droid returns to its station. Master Bondara steps into the ring and stretches silently, oh is this what's happening? I don't particularly mind training with him.

"I saw Zun in the hallways and thought to check up on my former student. I've heard of the Matukai and their teachings but I've never seen them first hand. Care to give your old teacher a demonstration." He ignites his training saber, and I adopt a guard stance. How am I going to do this then? He is a battlemaster, I've no illusions about my chances.

Alright, I rush forward and begin my attack, what I've begun to notice is that with my enhanced strength I can compensate for Jar'Kai's normal weaknesses. Overpowering one hand isn't going to work on me like it would someone else.

Master Bondar matches each of my strikes easily, a font of serenity in the Force. As I advance he retreats and deflects until in a single moment he reacts. His first strike bats aside my offhand and the next flurry of blows strike my lightsaber forcefully.

I take a step back to brace myself and swing to intercept his next strike, going low for his legs. He leaps over me and as I turn to strike his descending form, he blocks and our fight continues.

We match each other blow for blow and as I leap over him, the Force guiding my descent he presses the attack. I duck into a forward roll to dodge. and as soon as I'm back on my feet he attacks again. He's getting faster now, but not so fast that I can't keep up with him.

"Good, padawan, your strength and speed are pretty good. This old man still has some tricks in him though." Master Bondara smirks, and the battle takes a turn as his strikes change with each blow. Strong overhand strikes turning into quick jabs, elaborate acrobatics switching to defensive redirections.

Oh wow, is he switching between forms randomly? I'm seeing Ataru, Soresu, Shien, Nimen, and Makashi in his style. I've never actually seen someone combine different forms together. It's throwing me off and making it harder to predict his movements.

I guess this is why he's a Battlemaster, but this is my initiate years all over again. Here I think I've got an advantage, and he goes and shows me why he's still the best.

A feint and he's slipped behind me, blade flashing towards my legs. I hiss as the training saber grazes my legs, and dash forward to get some space. He follows relentlessly, and I'm forced on the defensive.

Alright, block the first strike with my main weapon, then the second with the offhand. Lash out with the free saber and he darts to the side, swinging for my exposed hand. My offhand blade comes up to bat his strike away, and I hold my ground as he slams into me roughly.

"You've got the strength, and you've got the speed. You need to press the attack, use those advantages." He disengages, and jumps back as I follow his advice, using the training Del taught, and striking as fast as possible.

Master Bondara meets my movements deftly, but I'm doing better now. He's blocking more slowly than before, and as I sweep low, he's unable to dodge in time. I'm rewarded by the sound of my training saber tapping his boots.

He's too self-disciplined to let such a minor pain show, but that was an amazing accomplishment for me. If nothing else, that's a win for me here. He smiles and raises his saber in salute.

"Excellent work padawan, now put away your offhand saber, let's practice with Ataru and Djem So." I don't actually know any Djem So, good chance as any to learn, right? I bow and walk over to the lockers to stash my second lightsaber.

When I return to the ring, Master Bondara is waiting for me. His blade is raised in what I assume is a Djem So position, It's certainly not Ataru. Since I don't know Djem So, I'll go with Ataru. Nimen won't help me, and Shii-Cho isn't going to be useful here.

"Going acrobat on me padawan? Well, we'll see how well that vaunted Matukai stamina fairs against an old man like me." That's a good question, one of Ataru's main weaknesses is how tiring it is. I've got enough stamina to last for hours, would that make Ataru more worthwhile?

The duel begins, and we go at each other again. The flash of lightsabers clashing, and the leaping and dancing around go on for hours. I know that because Ehruss left halfway and came back with lunch for the three of us.

She's awesome like that. When Master Bondara calls for lunch, it's a mark of progress that I'm still not that tired. Out of breath certainly, exhausted, no. Ehruss got us some kind of stew, oddly stringy, but it's got a flavor I like.

"You did good, padawan. Your form could use some work, but you certainly don't lack for speed or power now. Might I suggest learning Shien and Djem So. Both forms require a certain level of strength that you should be able to fulfill easily." I nod, sounds about right. He's the Battlemaster, if he tells me I'd do well with those two forms then I'm going to listen.

"Why not Ataru though, or Jar'Kai? I've got the strength to balance Jar'Kai's weakness, and my stamina proves that I can avoid the risks of Ataru." Yoda uses Ataru primarily, doesn't he? But then again, his size is a great advantage for him.

"Ataru's no good against multiple opponents, and even if your stamina is good enough to handle the strain, there's no reason to burn it faster unless you have no choice. You're right about

Jar'Kai though, but you're strong in the Force. Jar'Kai tends to interfere with that, use it when it's advantageous, but don't lose sight of your other skills." I shrug, that's fair I suppose.

"Thank you, Master Bondara. I'm thankful for the impromptu training." He laughs and pats me on the shoulder as we continue eating our stew.

"Well, the life of a Battlemaster is a busy one, and I wanted to see what my old student learned on her trip. I'll be certain to visit Master Tavik later and see what he's learned." Oh, I think I'll want to be there for that. We finish our food in relative quiet, and Master Bondara wishes me well before departing to fulfill his duties.

That leaves Ehruss and I alone in the training room. The stew is good, but now what? I could start running some drills again? There are holoprojectors that can walk you through various forms, I could practice Djem So or Shien.

"Watching you fight is enlightening. The Jedi method of movement is so precise, it is hard to follow at times." Ehruss says quietly, and I shrug.

"The Force helps a lot. It gives you little hints, telling you where to strike and when. Without that, a lot of Jedi saber forms would be unusable." Makashi is the sole exception, since it was based on regular fencing.

I don't really have any desire to do more training right now, but I do need something to do. I haven't been to the Room of a Thousand Fountains for a year. I'm curious if anything has changed.

"Come on Ehruss, let's go visit the most beautiful place in the Temple." She stands with me, and after a quick detour to the cafeteria, we're off to meditate.

The Room of a Thousand Fountains is as I remember it. It looks like some new bushes got planted by the bridge, but not much else seems to have changed. Ehruss is appropriately awed by the sight.

"This garden is well-tended; many plants reside here. I recognize some, but not others." I nod and start walking.

"Yeah, the Order sometimes receives gifts of flora from appreciative worlds. They get planted here in this room." Around us numerous fountains dot the garden, benches set up around them, and I can see a number of Jedi meditating or talking amongst themselves. Our destination is farther afield, and I lead Ehruss across the bridge and up the hill.

The meadow where Master Tavik and I meditate is empty, and with a relieved sigh, I fall onto my back and bathe in the warmth of the grass. If nothing else, this is my favorite spot in the galaxy. I can close my eyes and let the Force flow through me. I can feel the Jedi in the Temple around me; Ehruss is there as well. In light of my meditations, she has decided to observe the surrounding flora. She picks at the flowers and runs her hand across the trunks of trees. She turns to look at me, and I nod in acceptance. She wanders off into the room to explore; I can't expect her to follow me around all the time in here.

I don't sense any of my friends here right now, a pity. I want to show them what I've learned. I see no reason not to share it, especially with them. Padawan pack for life! There's another presence approaching me, who….ah I don't mind talking to him. As he approaches, I sit up and stretch slowly.

"Greetings Master Bnar. I'm happy to see you doing well." Ood Bnar bows in greeting and sits down beside me in the grass. The Neti Jedi Master and I haven't spent as much time in each other's company as I might have liked. First the Council of First Knowledge basically kidnapped him and monopolized his time, then it was mission after mission. The Matukai after that, and it's only now that I have a good chance to talk to the Master one on one.

"You have returned from the Matukai, I had thought to meet you in the Council Chamber but, your Master told me you had gone off to relax. It took some work, but I'm happy I managed to find you here." I shrug, wasn't much else for me to do.

"This is my favorite place in the Temple. Karvoss II had a lot of natural beauty, but it doesn't compare to this place. All of the flora here complements each other beautifully." I wish there were birds here, I understand it wouldn't be all that practical, but it would be straight out of Disney.

"I imagine so, in my time this Temple was merely a small meditative enclave. Ossus was our repository of knowledge, but we had no centralized location. The Jedi of my time were very nomadic, going from place to place as the Force willed it." That sounds very Knight-errant, I wonder what that would look like today. Ten thousand Jedi wandering across the galaxy, with no particular aim but where the Force pulled them.

"It sounds fascinating, I can't imagine the Order doing that today. We have too many responsibilities to just wander around as nomads." Ood Bnar seems to wilt slightly, and I feel a twinge of concern. The man is thousands of years out of time, in an Order that he doesn't remember anymore.

"Yes, much has changed since I went into hibernation. We have achieved peace, but I fear at what cost. I feel as if the Order has become too detached from the galaxy around us. How can we expect the citizens we serve to believe in us, secluded as we are in this tower?" I, I can't deny that I agree with him. Sure, I've managed to maintain attachments between my friends and my Master, but I worry about them becoming too focused on non-attachment.

"I agree, Master Bnar. I remember from my time with the Matukai, Del Kimer told us the story of Master Baas's attempt to bring the Matukai into the Order. I remember how he said, that Mendor Typhoon, the Matukai leader of the time, rejected his offer. He called Master Baas and the Jedi of the time elitist and inefficient. I don't fully agree with the inefficient part, but there is something to be said about the elitist part." It's part of the reason that anti-Jedi sentiment was so easy to foster in the galaxy. Too many people had perfectly good reasons to hate and distrust the Jedi after Ruusan.

Which reminds me, I had something I wanted to ask him. I remember a tale about Master Bnar that I wanted to get confirmed.

"Master Bnar, old tales of you said that you were able to detach yourself from what you learned. You delved into Sith teachings and could not be corrupted. I was wondering, how did you do that?" He knows the Dark Side's teachings intricately, and yet he's one of the purest Jedi I've met, on par with Yoda. I'd like to learn that ability, if I could.

Master Bnar hm's thoughtfully, remaining silent for a long moment. Then he stands, and after a moment of him staring at me, I do so as well.

"It is a rare ability, one that requires intense training and concentration. With your Master's permission, I will teach you only the simplest basics of this technique. If you prove yourself capable, I will teach you more." I smile and bow before Master Bnar.

"Thank you, Master Bnar. I promise not to let you down." Master Bnar smiles, and the Force seems to swirl around him.

"I am sure you will, padawan. I look forward to seeing what you are capable of."

"Padawan?" Master Tavik's voice drifts into the training room where I'm working. The hologram in front of me has been going through repetitions of Djem So and Shien. I've been copying it as best as I can, the forms are different from what I'm used to, but I've got nothing but time.

"I'm just doing some lightsaber training, Master. Master Bondara told me I should try to learn Shien and Djem So." I've done these repetitions so many times since I started this training. The Force has been sustaining me for so long.

"Padawan, how long have you been training?" There's a hint of concern in his voice, and I chuckle. The idea came to me last night.

"Since last night, I'm not really tired. I've been repeating these forms over and over." I wouldn't recommend doing this every night but once or twice a week? I could easily handle all night training sessions that long. I just have to make sure that I don't do anything too strenuous the next day if I can.

"I think you've done enough training, padawan. Come on, let's go get some breakfast and meditate for a bit." I cut off the training saber and nod, turning to face Master Tavik.

"Of course, Master. While we're doing that, there's something I'd like to talk to you about. Master Bnar has offered me some special training." Master Tavik looks a bit curious, even as he guides me out of the training room. I'm fine, really. He doesn't need to be that concerned about my safety.

"Really now, you can tell me about it over breakfast."


	29. Book one: Part Nineteen

39BBY Taris,

Taris's recovery from the Sith Bombardment was slow, and the planet never really became the ecumenopolis it had been before. It went from a population of 900 billion to 200 million. The planet's prosperity never really matched what it had once been; no wonder they joined up with Ranulph.

Rendili Stardrive has soared in prosperity with the ROSF's patronage, and their habit of opening shipyards all over has arrived at Taris. KDY to the best of my knowledge is busy scrambling for something to compete with, but all of their products are far too expensive for the Outer Rim.

Ranulph has done far more than I ever expected him to do with this expanded ROSF. The Outer Rim is massive, and by no means has he crippled criminal actions in the Outer Rim. What he has done is given it a serious wound; convoys are often protected by Hammerhead cruisers and squadrons of Aurek tactical strikefighters. Planets that had little to no protection from pirate raids before now have either system defense forces or forces close enough to respond quickly.

That just means the criminal underworld has been forced to act more subtly. Embezzlement, smuggling, and more are the name of the game now. This, of course, has opened Tarkin and his supporters to acts of terrorism and other violent reprisals.

Outlying settlements annihilated, assassination attempts, sabotage, all focused on ROSF supporters. And Ranulph, being Ranulph, is responding with expeditions into known pirate strongholds. He's encroaching close to Hutt Space, which worries me somewhat. We don't need a violent outbreak right now. Not much I can do about it right now, just hope for the best.

"Stop shoving me, this crate is cramped enough." I mumble an apology and try to give Jai some space. Poor Ehruss is sitting with her back to the container wall, her rifle propped up beside her. She hasn't said much since this mission started, granted none of us have.

We do need to conserve our oxygen. Oh yes, send the two padawans and Ehruss on their first solo mission in a crate. Well, a collection of crates to be fair, we've got packs of oxygen to last us, but we're not stretching it here. Thieves have been stealing ship parts from Taris shipyards, and thanks to a lucky break, we know the next shipment to be taken. Well, going by previous thefts, ROCI thinks this shipment will be the next one stolen.

So, instead of laying an ambush and trying to extract the location of the thieves' operation from the criminals, it was decided to let them steal the cargo. Plus a little extra in the form of us.

"This isn't exactly luxurious, Jai. None of us has any room to move." I'm fine with this though; I meditate for hours in much more uncomfortable circumstances. Ehruss growls something softly under her breath.

"Don't worry, Ehruss, just a bit longer, and then we'll have plenty of time to stretch and earn points." Her head tilts towards me, and there's a pleased hissing sound. I'm getting the hang of her language, but it's still a bit tricky.

"Remember, we're to set the beacon and start sabotaging the base as best as we can." Right, set the beacon for the authorities, and start preparing for their arrival. Where are we now, anyways? They grabbed the cargo, loaded it onto their ship and hauled ass out of Taris space. After the hyperspace jump, I have no idea where we are, but I imagine we'll be landing soon.

"They're getting active again, I don't know what's going on, but we should be ready to move." Jai and Ehruss both nod, and silence reigns as I keep watch. The crate begins to shake. We're descending into the atmosphere I guess. Good, I'm more than ready to get out of this cramped box. Whatever's out there can't be any worse than this.

"So, who do you think is behind this?" We've got a good hour before we set down, most likely. Why not talk a bit, I haven't gotten to spend much time with Jai.

"Just some thieving operation, they're stealing high-tech parts and selling them at Ord Radama for a profit." Maybe, prices for tech are high at Ord Radama, and it's close by, certainly a profit to be made, but the risks involved seem high.

Then again, with the way the Outer Rim is changing, maybe it's all they have left to them now. I guess it was too much to hope that they'd just suicidally fight to the death against the ROSF. Granted, there are still places where they operate unchecked, but that's beginning to change.

"It could be, but with the way things are changing, a lot of pirate groups are turning to more cloak and dagger business." Jai shrugs and unhooks the lightsaber from his belt, twirling it in his hand for a moment.

"The parts stolen could be made into bombs as well, could they not?" Ehruss chimes in. They could, couldn't they? Not necessarily the bombs themselves, but the detonators, circuitry, the devices needed to use them.

"If this is some thieves group, why do they need to steal so regularly? A good haul could hold them over for a bit, then they could turn their thieving to easier targets and come back later." The regularity implies either foolhardy greed or a need for these devices." More questions and no answers I like.

"I'm sure we'll have time to sift through the recovered intel later, focus on the moment." I shrug and fall into some last minute meditation. Jai does the same, and I can hear Ehruss repeating some sort of mantra.

The freighter lands in a large hanger; there are a number of buildings surrounding it. some sort of complex. The main complex is the only building with people in it, except for one smaller building off to the side with one person. One building seems to have a large freight elevator going down. I can't see what's at the bottom; it's too far.

Another underground base? I really don't want to do that again, but what the hell needs to be stored so far down that I can't see it. The crew of the freighter are… leaving? They're not even unloading the cargo.

"The thieves are leaving the freighter, can you set up the beacon?" Jai pulls the beacon from his robes and starts pressing buttons. The beacon whirs to life and… nothing. There's no ping on my datapad or anything. Jai frowns and begins fiddling around with the beacon. This, this isn't good.

"We're jammed, how? There's no reason for any interference." I know why, I grab my lightsaber and jam it against the side of the crate. I press the switch and my lightsaber activates, cutting straight through the side.

"What are you doing, we're supposed to be stealthy!" Jai backs away as far as he can, and I continue cutting a hole for us.

"The signal's being jammed remotely, they knew we were coming." That means a traitor somewhere along the line. I have no idea who, but if we're lucky we might find some clues here. Jai follows me as I cut a hole through the crate. We're in the hold of the freighter now, where are the thieves going?

"It looks like they're heading or the main facility, there's a lot of people in there." The last thief enters, and then there's some sort of shimmering effect. Ah, a shield of some kind? Alright, Master Tavik taught you how to do this, where's the generator for it? Inside the building, well that sucks.

"They have a shield over the main complex, the generator for it is inside the building. There's also someone in one of the side buildings. I don't know why they're there, but it's worth checking it out." Not much else to do at the moment anyways. The hatch for the freighter's cargo bay is unlocked and with a simple press it opens, and we're out into a whole lot of desert. I still don't know where we are. Force, if this is Tatooine I'm going to be pissed.

"The sands smell wrong, there is something here." Ehruss is sniffing at the air, well of course something's here. There's thieves in the nearby base. There's a blaring sound as some sort of speaker turns on.

"Greetings, Jedi to my little game! I had hoped for ROSF investigators to take the bait at Taris, but hearing that two Jedi would be coming? I couldn't pass that up, now do me a favor and make your deaths entertaining." The speaker cuts off, and I frown. Ehruss is here too jackass. Jai is not impressed.

"So, that confirms a traitor, but whoever this is isn't very bright if they expect us to die so quickly. And from what? There's nothing out here dangerous, we could just steal the freighter and leave." We could do that, but there's no guarantee these people don't have an armed ship in space to blow us out of the sky if we try. Save that for if we get desperate.

"Yeah well, let's go check that side building first, look for any clues." Jai nods and we jog over to our destination, hands at our weapons. Something about this isn't right; why aren't we being attacked? Why are they just hanging out in one building? There's a grinding sound somewhere in the distance, but I can't place it.

Jai steps up the door controls, and frowns as the door doesn't open. He pulls out his datapad and starts keying in commands. Why not just use our lightsabers?

"You know, we could use our lightsabers and have this done in seconds?" I ask, and he shrugs. Ehruss takes up a defensive position while clutching her A280 rifle.

"We could, but the thing with thieves and the like, is that they have a tendency to trap their doors, especially locked ones. If there's a data terminal in there and they're smart then they'll have coded it in a specific way. If the door controls suddenly cut out, the data terminal wipes its memory." Then why not go in through a wall, though granted we don't want the person inside knowing the moment we're about to enter.

Who is this guy anyways, he looks male and humanoid. I'm not sure of anything else, he doesn't look armed but there could be traps set or something. Why not let Jai have some practice at his security work.

The door pings and opens as Jai cheers. Alright, open sesame, we're in. And inside is… a cell and one guy on the other end. He stares at the three of us for a moment before grinning and sticking his hand through the cell.

"Hey! Jedi, great timing. Open the cell door quick, I've been in here for days and my mind's already going stir-crazy!" There's a table and desk next to a locker with some weapons, but otherwise this room is empty. He doesn't seem to be lying, and there's a desperation to his aura in the Force. I shrug and walk over to his cell as Jai follows behind me.

"You really trust this guy?" he says and I shrug again. I really don't have any reason to trust him, but I don't have any reason not to either. Alright, I'm just going to use my lightsaber, fuck this lock. It takes only a moment to open the door, and he scrambles out.

"Ah, thanks beautiful, you here to bring down Smitonn? Count me in, I'm just itching to blast that slimy Hutt filth." Wait, Hutt? The man heads over to the locker and opens it, fiddling around with the blasters inside.

"Wait, there's a Hutt here?" There was no indication that a Hutt would be here. The man looks at us for a moment.

"You...didn't know? This is Er'Kit, everyone knows this is his stomping grounds." Everyone but us it seems. I sigh and run a hand through my hair. This just got more complicated.

"Well, fine come along if you want. Everyone seems to be in the main complex right now, and it's shielded. They're jamming our signal as well." He smirks and places two blaster pistols onto his belt.

"Well then, I think I can help you with that. There's a data terminal in the building across the complex that can help with that. I saw it when they were interrogating me there." He sticks out his hand, and I shake it.

"Aran Shol, freelance pilot at your service, well if I had a ship anymore. Damn pirates wrecked it." So, a smuggler then? I'm betting he's a smuggler. Well, he's given us his name. Might as well reciprocate.

"A pleasure Aran, I'm Viera Sarat, my compatriots are Jai Maruuk and Ehruss." He nods and heads for the door. Jai looks at me, and I shrug.

"He's awfully eager to help," Jai mutters. He is indeed.

"To be fair, he's been imprisoned by a Hutt. I'm sure he's ready to get even." We step outside, and I ignore Jai's muttered 'that's the reason, sure'. He's already heading for another building across the complex, and we move to follow him. At least at this distance, if he turns on us he's too far away to do much damage. There's something I've been wanting to ask him.

"So...Politrix huh?" I smirk when Jai freezes. Hah, so I was right, I remembered that little tidbit of his history, and watching him him interact with Politrix more or less proved it.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." I laugh softly and feel him tense. Oh, he's so guilty.

"It's fine, there's nothing wrong with it. I certainly won't tell anyone, but you should go for it Jai. I know she likes you." I'm guessing, but she's been on pretty good terms with Jai for a while. I imagine if they gave it a shot, it would work out.

"That's not the point, you know attachments are forbidden!" Oh, speaking of that.

"Attachments, not celibacy." I respond, and he sputters at the implication. Finding that out was a bit of a shock. I didn't realize that, but hey it's funny.

"But seriously, you'll be fine. You just need to be confident in yourself." And with that, we're just about in hearing range of Aran. Time to end that conversation, but just maybe he'll do it. And hopefully not be caught and kicked out of the Order, but if he does then I'll follow him.

"Alright, so it's just in here." And the door is locked, Jai sighs and starts working on the door controls again. We're not in a rush so I'm not going to bother him about it. Instead, Aran, Ehruss, and I just sort of watch the complex. There's been no movement, and no sign that they will move. What are they waiting for?

Also, what the hell is that grinding noise.

"So uh, what brings two Jedi to the Outer Rim." Aran says quietly, and I glance over at him. He's fidgeting a bit, a bit young now that I look at him.

"We're both padawans, this is our first solo mission. Turns out there's a traitor somewhere along the line, and this Smitonn knew we were coming. Ehruss owes me a life debt, and that's why she's here." I point to Ehruss who hisses something and hefts her blaster.

Oh, that's what the grinding noise is. It's the freight elevator coming up. I wonder what's on it. Aran shrugs and pulls out one of his blasters, twirling it in his hand.

"Ah, nice. It's good that they're letting you Jedi out of that gigantic Temple of yours. The Outer Rim's been a much safer place these past few years. There are Jedi coming out more and more now, it's pretty great." Oh really? That's kinda cool, I like that. I don't know who decided to start assigning more missions out here but good on them.

The elevator is coming closer to the surface, and I'm finally getting a glimpse of what's inside. Okay, nothing yet… what is that? The elevator comes up more, and I finally know true fear. The gnawing in my gut is back, and I jerk over to the door where Jai is working.

"Jai, get that door open now, I mean it." The elevator is getting closer and with it, our deaths. Jai waves me away, distracted by the lock.

"Calm down, this lock is harder than the other one. I'm working on it." That's not an acceptable answer! I shake him again, Ehruss has raised her blaster to a defensive position, and Aran's got his blasters out. Those won't be helpful here!

"Jai, lightsabers, we don't have time anymore." The freight elevator reaches the top and the door begins to open. Fuck this, I ignite one of my sabers and plunge it into the door. Jai jerks away and glares up at me.

"What are you doing, we need the data on this terminal." I don't bother replying, not ready to die yet. There's a roar that interrupts the both of us, and I can already hear Ehruss open fire.

"Jai, Krayt dragon!" I point, and the Krayt Dragon emerging from the freight elevator finds us. Oh, he looks hungry.

Another roar and he charges us.


	30. Book one: Part Twenty

39BBY Er'Kit

The door falls inward and everyone rushes inside. Aran and Jai go in first, and I follow behind them. Ehruss fires a few more shots and follows me in. The inside of the building is sparse. Desks and lockers with nothing useful inside. No grenades or anything I can use to even the odds.

"I take back everything I said before. I regret you rescuing me. That's a Krayt dragon, how in the hell are we supposed to kill that!" How indeed? I don't think their hides are impenetrable to lightsabers, but I don't know if we have the stamina for death of a thousand cuts. Ehruss hisses in what sounds like pleasure.

"A shot through the sinus cavity can kill them if done right." Wait, really? Excellent, we can work with that. The wall caves inwards, and the whole structure shakes as the Krayt rams head first into the building we're in. The wall is still there, but holy shit that dent in it. We can't take another one of those.

"Alright, Ehruss get set up for that shot, Aron help her out. Jai, you and me will distract it." Ehruss grabs her rifle while Jai gives me a look.

"Distract it? How are we going to distract it?" I answer him by rushing out the door and leaping up and back. I land gracefully on the roof and stare down the Krayt. Okay it's big enough that it could get at me from here, but I know what to do. The Krayt eyes me, and I run to the edge of the roof and leap. The nearest building is close enough to land on, and I roll on the roof. Did it follow me?

A roar gives me all the answer I need. The Krayt isn't the smartest predator, and visible prey is better than hidden prey. It wants me bad. I can see Jai heading out behind it; a swipe of his saber singes the beast's tail. Jai leaps away towards another roof as the Krayt turns to face the new threat.

The tail swings at me, and I have to duck under it to avoid being sent flying as it rounds on Jai. Jai runs for the other building, and the beast pursues.

I've practiced throwing my lightsaber before, but it's never been something I ever thought I'd use. Alright, give the saber a toss, guide it with the Force and you're good. My saber slides across the Krayt's back, and it's roar is filled with pain, but it's not doing a lot of worthwhile damage. I call my lightsaber back and think quickly, how to get it off of Jai?

There's a crate nearby, I can use that maybe? I reach out with the Force and lift the crate up, a bit of direction and it sails in the direction of the Krayt's tail. A thunk and the Krayt halts in place. Another saber throw towards its tail and it seems to weigh its options. The prey in front of it or whatever was hitting it from behind.

Thankfully it's an animal, and animals are beings of instinct. Instinct can be manipulated, and in a situation where it's being harmed, it'll always go for the physical threat. The Krayt Dragon turns towards me, and I wonder why I did that?

It's not at all damaged from that. If this thing had a health bar it'd be at ninety-nine percent and with our luck regenerating that one percent of damage back. I can see the cuts in its hide, there's no sign of any damage underneath it. Nice to see how little the lightsaber matters against something that big.

On the upside, now the Krayt is distracted between me and Jai. Whoever it goes for gets to play keep away while the other distracts. Not a really winning strategy, but our best bet considering the situation.

The Krayt turns its attention back to me, and rushes forwards. Alright, let him get close, and prepare to jump to safety. Instead of attacking though, the beast plunges headfirst into the structure, and nearly knocks me flat from the impact. The hell is it doing?

The Krayt, head still inside the structure begins to shake back and forth, rattling the building, and causing the walls and roof to buckle. Oh, man he's smarter than he looks. I have to jump for safety. There's no structure close enough for me to jump to besides the one Ehruss and Aron are in. Speaking of them, Ehruss runs out of the building, crouching by the crushed wall and taking aim with her rifle.

I hit the dirt just as the Dragon pulls its head from the ruined building and lunges for me. Force enhanced speed, don't fail me now. I sprint away, and it pursues relentlessly. A crate hits it in the head, and from the corner of my perception I notice Jai, hands stretched out. Good on you man.

The Dragon roars and turns to look for the source of the attack, a thrown lightsaber slams into its skull, and rattles it, forcing its attention on Jai. I take the opportunity and charge back in, Leerrroooyyyy! The Force projects my leap up and over, landing on the beast's back. I grab the second lightsaber from my belt and plunge both of my lightsabers into its back. Hah ha, the beast roars in pain, but it's weakened, and distracted!

The Krayt Dragon shakes and bucks, ah crap. The problem with lightsabers is that since they cut so easily, I can't use them as a grip. My lightsabers slip and slide through the hide of the Krayt as I get flung around on this things back. The Krayt turns to slam its back into the shielded main complex, and I have to jump from its back for safety.

Oh, incoming limb! Ah, shit! The limb slams into me, and there goes my sense of the world around me. There's sand and pain all over, oh boy what's happening. I can dimly see Jai cut at the Krayt's tail, good job Jai.

Alright, the Force is my ally. I draw in the Force around me and disconnect my body's pain from my senses. It's...easier that way, but I'm going to be feeling that later. The Dragon isn't focusing on me right now, that's probably the only reason I haven't been crushed or eaten. But the world is spinning around me, there's hands on my shoulder, lifting me up.

Oh, hey Aron, thanks buddy. I owe you one for that. He drags me over to the side of the nearby building. Jai's dodging and retreating from the Krayt, but he can't keep that up forever, and it's not proving effective anyways.

"Ehruss told me to tell you that she can't get a shot at its nose. You need to get it facing her and keep it still." How!? The Krayt has so far proven easy to direct, but keeping it still is going to be just about impossible.

Unless.

Alright, I need to get the beast pointed in Ehruss's direction so she can get the shot. I also need to keep it still. Krayt dragons aren't sentient, can I control it somehow? Alright, reach out. The sun touches everything in some form or another. This Krayt dragon is no different, the Force travels through it.

Find that mind. It's slippery, but I can sense it. The predatory instinct, a hunger and desire for violence. Smitonn didn't do a good job of feeding it, probably to ensure it always attacked his victims. It hardly hates us, it's just hungry.

If it this were Tatooine I'd try to drive it off, and let it go. But it's dangerous to leave it to wander this planet, especially if there are any innocents living here. This thing has to die for a lot of people's safety. Doesn't mean I'll enjoy it.

Its simple mind means it's easy to manipulate. A suggestion, a simple mirage, and the Krayt flails about, looking around wildly. Krayt Dragons tend to have problems with two-dimensional images. It sees our shadows, and thinks there are more of us all over the , it doesn't know what to attack.

"Ehruss, get your shot, Jai help me out here!" Jai doesn't really need direction, he can sense what I'm doing. He adds his own mind to mine, and we begin. The Krayt backs up slightly, assaulted by visions and misdirections that confuse it into inaction.

It's mind naturally fights such alterations, and even as we work, I can feel it fighting back, trying to determine the real from false. I don't think we can drive it off, and convincing it to just ignore us is likewise out of the question. But it's still now, unmoving and quite vulnerable. I don't know how long it'll take Ehruss to get her shot, but I hope she does it soon.

A pity, I hate to have to kill it. The sound of a blaster bolt rings out, and impacts the Krayt in the snout. There's no roar, or cry of pain, the Dragon slumps lifeless, and we both let out a sigh. Alright, that's done with.

I slump back against the metal building; it's burning hot, but I don't care. I'm so happy the Krayt Dragon is dead. I raise my hands in triumph as Ehruss and Jai approach. Ehruss seems very pleased with herself, judging by the way she hisses.

"Is good kill, many points for us." I give her a thumbs up and a nod.

"Good job Ehruss, excellent shot." Ehruss takes a step closer and kneels down next to me.

"Are you okay Grashkowh?" I shrug, the pain is coming back, but I feel like thankfully nothing's broken. That limb was big, but there wasn't a lot of force behind it. The whole Matukai protecting yourself from damage thing really pays off in these moments.

"I think so, just hurts a lot. We're not done yet, those people in the main complex are acting up." I can see them running around in there, armed and dangerous.

Curiously, I don't see a Hutt in there. I guess Smitonn isn't dumb enough to be here personally, but he certainly left plenty of people to man the base.

"Hey, I got a plan to deal with them. It's a bit crazy, but how strong do you think that shield covering the complex is?" Jai stops to think, staring at the main complex curiously. He eventually shrugs.

"I couldn't say, certainly not strong enough to stop any serious firepower." I look over at the freighter we came in on. It's an Action VI, over a hundred meters.

"Could it stop the freighter?" He blinks and looks back at the freighter, then at me before shaking his head.

"Even for you, Viera, that's an insane plan. There has to be a better way to do this." Aran and Ehruss listen quietly. They probably don't know what we're planning.

"Like, fighting all of the people inside, after battling a Krayt Dragon? Let's call their bluff." I stand up and limp over to within sight of the main complex. There's no reaction from the complex, but that's fine, they'll be talking shortly.

"Hey! I'm ready to accept your surrender!" I'm met by silence, a long silence. I begin to wonder if they can even hear me. Then the speaker crackles to life.

"Fuck off Jedi, you can't get in here, your signal is being jammed and the ignition on the freighter is locked down. You'll die of the elements before you trouble us." Okay, so that answers the question of whether or not we could use that ship.

Which is good actually, because my plan for that ship means it won't be usable anyways. Size matters not, I reach out for the transport and focus. The pain melts away, the complex itself melts away, and even I melt away. Everything is the Force, and how it interacts with the freighter. There's no effect at first, but I refuse to accept it won't move. Slowly it begins to shake, the Force pulses around me like a wave. The tide goes in, and then it comes out, the freighter begins to wobble some more. It's getting there.

Then Jai joins in, and the ship actually lifts off the ground. I can hear something in the background, whether it's Aron, Ehruss, or the man from the speaker, I don't know. Focus on the ship, just maintain focus, hold it steady and slowly come back to the world around you. Just a little bit, just enough to notice things.

"How about now, drop the shield, the signal jamming, and then disarm yourselves or I slam that transport into the building and kill you all." Silence from the criminals before the speaker turns back on.

"You're Jedi, Jedi don't indiscriminately kill." He doesn't sound confident. Granted, he's right but he doesn't know that I won't.

"Well, you're right, we don't have any other options. And hey, once you're all dead I can make up any story I want. You sent a Krayt Dragon at us, we're allowed to defend ourselves." I'm not actually sure I could focus enough to do the things I'm threatening right now. The pain is back and throbbing. I want to just get some bacta and sleep for a week.

"The real question is, are you willing to risk your life on it?" Please don't be. There's no response, I can see people running around in there, presumably talking amongst themselves. Then the speaker comes back to life.

"Alright, we'll surrender Jedi. We're dropping the signal jamming….just don't throw the freighter at us." Score one for cowardly self-preservation. I sigh in relief and together we set the freighter back down. Jai's already got the beacon out and is working to activate it. The beacon springs to life, and he gives me a nod.

"The beacon's active, they'll be here in a few hours at the most." I nod and stand up, breathing in and out to center myself.

"Alright, let's get them disarmed and ready for transport. Aron, you willing to help out? I'm sure there's a reward in it somewhere." He shrugs and fiddles with his blaster pistols.

"Not much else to do, and I won't turn down a reward." Alright, the four of us are going to disarm about…..forty people. Go us.

"Alright then, let's get started."


	31. Interlude X

38BBY Coruscant

"This is rapidly becoming a crisis Senator Tarkin." Ranulph resisted slamming a hand down onto his desk, but only just. Instead he sighed and rubbed a hand through his hair. This was a problem, but not one he wanted to deal with.

"And the captain has not changed his story?" Dooku shook his head, and the anger returned. He had always known he'd have to deal with less than competent subordinates in positions of authority, but to actively attack an unarmed freighter, a Hutt freighter.

Dooku had woken him in the early morning to inform him of the situation. One of his patrols heading out past Rodia had intercepted a freighter on its way back to Gamorr. The freighter had shown no signs of weapons or illegal contraband on scanner and had a legitimate freighter ID. As legitimate as the Hutts ever got at least, by all accounts the captain should have just gone on his way.

Instead, the captain had ordered his ship to open fire, and they did! That was the worst part, the XO hadn't overridden the erroneous decision like any smart person would. The freighter took severe damage from the attack but had managed to jump to safety.

"The Hutts are insisting on reparations. From you especially." Of course they did.

"I already had the captain and XO stripped of their rank and position in the ROSF. I've turned both over to the Judicial department and offered a monetary compensation, what more do they want!" He sank into his chair and rubbed his forehead, feeling the migraine coming on.

"The Hutts want the ROSF disbanded, a full demilitarization of the Outer Rim, and probably a number of prisoners for their slave markets. They want a return back to the way things used to be." Dooku stood beside him, regal and tall. Ranulph envied him that right now. But disband the ROSF? Never, he would never do that. As long as he lived he would keep striving for peace and security in the Outer Rim

He had grown up with the chaos of the Outer Rim, seen it with his own eyes. He had no desire to see that come back again.

"That, I will never do. Even if I did, all those planets who have supported me would never agree to it. They're demanding something I can't give." But in that, came an opportunity. He reached for the datapad on his desk and thumbed through some of the files.

"It's odd though, the bridge crew insist that the freighter was armed and attacking them." Dooku frowned and Ranulph did as well. That was impossible, the freighter was unarmed, there was no way that could have happened.

"Impossible, the telemetry data contradicts that.. He couldn't have been attacked." But the man had not looked like a liar, nor a crazy person. Some of his fellow officers had said he was a model captain up until that moment.

"Yes, I can't think of anything that would explain that, how about you, Master Dooku?" Dooku shook his head slowly, running a hand through his beard.

"Not that I can think of, the Force can play tricks on someone's mind but I don't know who would be in position to do that Especially against so many people." Maybe a Dark Jedi, there weren't any running around that he knew of, but perhaps it was a new one. He'd have to consult with the Council later; maybe they could offer their wisdom.

"I'll look into the matter some more, Senator Tarkin. I can't guarantee anything, but in the meantime we'll need to respond to the Hutt's demands." Ranulph nodded and stood up, walking over to the window. For a long moment he stared out into the Coruscant traffic.

"There is an opportunity here, Master Dooku. We can use the Hutt's demand to rally support for our cause. Some advertisements in the Mid and Outer Rim should help. We followed the law and are working towards the prosecution of the two in question. We'll play up the Hutt's unreasonableness over the matter." It would bolster support among his allies and potentially rally new systems to his cause.

"The Hutts won't like that, are you sure you want to anger them? They have remained independent for thousands of years, for a reason." Ranulph shrugged, it was true but what other option did he have.

"We have no other option Dooku, the Hutts won't settle for anything less than total control of the Outer Rim if we let them. I won't abandon the fringes of the Republic to criminals and degenerates." If the Hutts wanted the Outer Rim, then they could fight him for it.


	32. Book one: Part Twenty-one

36BBY Onderon

Iziz! Yay, Onderon was my favorite planet from Kotor 2. I just wish it was under better circumstances than to protect a Royal family from Mandalorians. Why are Mandalorians on Onderon, and why are they trying to kidnap members of Onderon's monarchy?

I'm guessing they're Death Watch, but I still have no idea why they would want to do this? What do they gain from it? This makes no damn sense. Whatever, protect the important folks, stop the bad guys, and go home when it's all done.

It's not just me though. Ehruss, Master Tavik, Ilena, and Master Bridger are here as well. The Council has decided that Mandalorians warrant two pairs of Jedi. Why the hell not, the more the better.

"So, how's your training going, Ilena?" Master Bridger and Master Tavik are talking up ahead, and Ehruss is busy looking around. Just the two of us, we can do it if we try. I've spent time over the past three years or so trying to teach them the Matukai techniques.

Ilena's taken to them the best, because of course she did. I remember that brief moment where I was better than her at hand to hand and lightsaber combat. That was so satisfying to me; then she started to learn. Now, I'm back to being not as good at her at all that stuff.

Though Ilena has become the greatest sparring partner, the whole hours-long stamina thing means we've started the occasional all night lightsaber practice. I fiddle with the lightsabers on my belt, adjusting them quietly. After the mission on Er'Kit we salvaged some pearls from the Dragon. Six of them, Ehruss got two for making the killing shot, Aran and Jai both got one, and after consideration I got to have the other two.

One, I decided to hold onto for my own purposes, and the other I tuned into a lightsaber crystal. That took some work, but I felt it worth it. I ended up replacing the crystal in the ancient lightsaber given to me by Ood Bnar; my first one stays as is.

"I'm getting better, I've almost managed to beat Master Bridger now. He's expressed interest in the Matukai training as well. I told him to go ask Master Tavik." Ooh, good to know. A slow proliferation through the Order but it's a start.

"So, why would Mandalorians want to start trouble on Onderon? I know about Dxun, but there hasn't been a Mandalorian presence on Dxun for thousands of years." Canderous's whole Mandalorian force left shortly after the civil war, and no one's been back since. Ilena shrugs, and keeps walking.

"No idea, maybe they just want to collect a ransom on the royal heirs." Ah right, Ramsis Dendup. Watching the tv show I always wondered one thing, what happened to his heirs? He looked like he was in his eighties in the show. Who was going to take over the monarchy when he died? Wouldn't that have just caused more chaos? Here he has two grandchildren, the parents having passed away in an accident. I wonder what happened to them when the Clone Wars broke out, probably wasn't good.

"Maybe, but this isn't their normal method of operation. It doesn't make sense." This is clearly going to bother me until I figure it out.

The palace is ahead of us as we're escorted through the streets of Iziz. This place got really populated after the civil war. There's a population of billions instead of one million. The market got expanded, trade is flowing, and cities have sprung up across the planet. Hello, industrialization and modernization, urban sprawls instead of vast jungles.

Dxun is still left alone though, and wisely so. I can feel the lingering darkness even now; it's like an itch at the back of my head. I have a sinking feeling about that moon though. I know Freedon Nadd's spirit was expelled, but he came back from that once.

I have vague memories of the level design from Kotor 2, but the approach to the palace looks somewhat similar to how it was in the game, just longer and a bit more elaborately defended. We pass checkpoints, and I return the slight nods we get from passing guardsmen. Onderon was pretty pro-Jedi after the civil war.

The palace of Onderon is an ornate affair. Or so I assume, but with my color-blindness I can't appreciate any of the artwork or painted halls. The Onderonian royal guards look very similar to how they did in Kotor 2, facemask and everything. Coolest uniform ever, I love it. I don't see the practicality in it, but cool design. Master Tavik and Master Bridger stop before we enter the throne room to address us

"Remember padawans, be courteous." Master Tavik says, and I nod silently, I understand he feels the need to say that, but this is me. What's the worst that could happen? We approach the throne and bow before the King and his family. Ehruss bends to one knee instead, and I note the odd look she get from everyone else.

Ramsis Dendup is about what I expected; he's old, but there's a regalness about him. It's his clothes I think; they look pretty snazzy. Asking him where he got them from probably isn't courteous. Not like I have the money to pay for such an outfit anyways.

Beside him stand his grandchildren slightly behind the throne. Princess Satajayu Dendup and Prince Sadhana Dendup, they're not particularly remarkable to me. Human, short and long hair, the beginnings of a beard on the prince but otherwise meh.

"Your Majesty, the Council sends its regards and assurances that this plot against your family will be foiled." I take the moment to look around the throne room while this is going on. Might as well look for any threats, and Master Tavik will probably repeat all of that later anyways.

I wonder how Jang's doing. She and Master Rana went off to Fresia to test something new from Incom. I get to play bodyguard, and they fly around experimental ships, what a joy.

There are guard positions throughout the palace, with what look like checkpoints at key access points. Perfect for dealing with unwanted intruders I guess. But these are Mandalorians, they're just going to come in swinging with high explosives.

Thinking about it some more, Master Tavik and I can stand watch longer due to our stamina. Ilena and Master Bridger can do most of the daytime guarding while Master Tavik and I do night watch. That sounds like a good plan, let the Mandalorians make another attempt, and we'll capture one for interrogation. Ehruss can find a good spot for overwatch just in case. Her rifle is good for medium and long range, and Force help the poor bastard who gets close enough for hand to hand with her. They'll regret it when she rips them apart.

"That's why I've decided to assign my padawan Viera to her protection, your Majesty." Wait what? I focus back on the conversation and instantly find everyone looking at me. Ah, well shit. The only woman I could be assigned to protecting is silent princess over there. Remember your etiquette, bow respectfully.

"No harm will come to you under my watch." She doesn't reply, understandable that she'd be distracted by everything going on, or she's just an ass, something for later. Master Tavik points to Ilena and Master Bridger, who step forward.

"Master Bridger and his padawan will protect you and prince Sadhana, I will take up the investigation into the Mandalorian attacks." Alright then, that works too I guess. But I swear, if he gets captured somehow... I'm going to be annoyed.

We're more or less dismissed after that. Bodyguard duty it is though, and said princess doesn't seem ready to leave the throne room yet. So I guess I'll have to hang around a bit. The four of us head over to the side of the room to allow for further petitioners and such.

"Padawan, work with Master Bridger to protect the royals, I sense much darkness brewing here. Be on your guard." I nod; I know what he's talking about, and it worries me. Ilena scoffs and leans against the wall, watching the room like a hawk.

"It's the blood of Nadd, even thousands of years later it lays dormant in their blood." Is that a thing, or is she just hyperbolizing? Freedon Nadd was the King of Onderon for a while, and his descendants have ruled and intermixed with the nobility, but that's a long time, surely that's not the case.

"That tomb needs to be destroyed and completely removed from Dxun. I can feel its energy even from here." It's like a cancerous sore within sight of everyone. Just get rid of the damned thing.

"There is good hunting on Dxun, Boma Beasts and Cannoks. Zakkegs as well, many points to be earned." Ehruss pipes up from beside me. She looks really out of place in this throne room. I should probably find something for her to do

"Whatever the case, we're here to do a job, a Jedi is calm, remember that." I sigh and lean back to alleviate the growing headache. I'll get used to the constant Dark Side presence eventually, but right now it's still painful.

"Yes, Master Tavik." Someone's entering the throne room from one of the side doors. Several someone's actually. I sense something familiar, I can't tell what though.

They're armored, and in actual armor, not a military uniform. The design is unfamiliar, but I see five of them. There's a human, two Twi'leks, a Zabrak and is that a Bith? I can't imagine what kind of helmet he would require.

The human is the leader...do I know him from somewhere? I feel like we've met before, butI've been on countless missions the past eight years or so. Then it hits me, I recognize that man! I start making my way through the crowd towards them. Ehruss follows behind me.

"Sergeant Vance! Is that you Sergeant?" I call out; he stops and looks in my direction. There's no immediate recognition in his face, but I can sense the dawning comprehension, how many Miraluka has he met? I can see the grin forming.

"Padawan Sarat, is that you? It's been so long!" Hah, it is him! I laugh, and we exchange a quick hug. He clasps me on the back, and I do likewise. I'm having trouble not smiling; I haven't seen or heard from him in forever.

"I told you to call me Viera, it's been so long since Troiken, Sergeant. I'm glad to see you're doing well. What brings you to Onderon?" He chuckles and steps back. The rest of his squad stop a few feet behind him.

"It's Captain now, and I'll do that if you call me Errol, I'm here on Senator Tarkin's orders. I assume for a similar reason you are. Tarkin wants Onderon to join the ROSF alliance. I'm here with my squad to represent his interests and offer whatever aid he may require." I nod and look behind him at the colorful soldiers.

"We're here to protect the Royals as well, who're your friends." The Zabrak in the back raises his hand and waves slowly.

"Lieutenant Aurrenn Masaque, ROSF comm specialist, at your service." Errol shakes his head and turns to his squad, pointing to the two Twi'lek women.

"The two sisters are Corporals Channa and Ashaiya, our medic and sniper. The Bith in the back is Sergeant Kader in demolitions. Together we're Havoc Squad." Havoc? Oh, Ranulph that's honestly cute. I point to Ehruss behind me, and she nods her head in greetings.

"Oh, this is Ehruss. I met her on Dioll, she's been my friend for a long time, and a good protector." Not that I've really needed it too much, but I still appreciate her. Erroll nods and offers his hand to shake.

"A pleasure to meet you Ehruss, any friend of Viera's is a friend of mine." Ehruss shakes his hand, and we have a moment of quiet.

"So, you're like some special elite squad for Tarkin now? That's quite the promotion from sergeant." He shrugs and leans against the wall.

"What can I say, after Troiken there weren't many soldiers left. Those of us who survived got promoted quite a bit to fill in the gaps. I didn't want to go back to mining on Commenor, after Troiken who would want to go back to such a boring life. I threw myself into the job, killed plenty of pirates and other scum. Eventually Admiral Dallin decided to send me and some others to the Carida infantry school for more training." Huh, the ROSF has expanded quite a bit, I can't imagine the logistics that goes into this whole thing.

Channa laughs and steps closer, looking me up and down.

"So, you're the Jedi Grenadier that Captain Vance always talks about?" Errol shushes her ineffectively, and I shrug.

"I guess so, a pleasure to meet you Corporal Channa." I offer my hand to shake, and she mirrors it. Speaking of demolitions, I look back to Sergeant Kader and wave,

"Hey, by the way, do you have any flashbangs or adhesive grenades to spare." The Bith seems to think for a moment before grabbing a single flashbang from his bandoleer and tossing it my way. A bit stingy, but alright.

Errol sighs and glares at his subordinate for a moment before turning back to me. I can't say I'm against Onderon joining Tarkin's effort, and if his squad is even half as good as they look, then it'll be worthwhile against these Mandalorians.

"So, you've obviously had plenty of adventures since Troiken, Viera. Got time to share some stories? I'll share some of my own." I turn back to the throne room, my charge hasn't left yet, and Ilena's watching with Master Bridger. I've got some time.

"Alright, I've got some time. You can hear about the time I fought a Krayt Dragon on Er'Kit." He gives me a wide-eyed look. I forget that he isn't that much older than me right now.

"There is no way you fought a Krayt Dragon and survived to tell about it." I smirk and look back to Ehruss, pointing in her direction.

"Ask Ehruss, she killed it, one straight shot through the sinus cavity." Ehruss swells with pride and begins to recount the tale of our adventure there. I pop into the conversation occasionally to add emphasis and my own point of view.

In return, Errol and his squad start sharing stories of their adventures with me, the nonclassified ones at least. Turns out he encountered Mandalorians at Ryloth, isn't that a shock to hear, but that makes him even more valuable for this mission.

I have a feeling this mission is going to go well.


	33. Interlude XI

Coruscant 36BBY

Chancellor Valorum stepped off the dais and sank into his office chair. Another long session and nothing noteworthy done. He was so tired, four years in this position, and he'd managed so little.

A chime sounded at the door, and he waved Palpatine in. Palpatine had become his closest confidant since his term began. Naboo had been his strongest support in getting the Chancellorship. Palpatine had given an impassioned speech that had won him enough support to win. Ranulph had not run for the Chancellorship, which had surprised him somewhat.

Palpatine stepped into the office, a warm smile on his face, and Valorum sighed, letting the troubles of the day wash off of him. Palpatine sat down across from him and leaned forward to address him.

"You look unwell Finis, is something wrong?" What wasn't wrong today? Force, the last four years had been chaotic.

"Everything is wrong. Ranulph, damn the man, has turned the Outer Rim into a Rhydonium keg waiting to blow." He thought for a moment before reaching for the bottle of Whyren's Reserve under his desk, a pair of glasses, and some ice. Opening the bottle, he poured one for himself and then for Palpatine.

Ever since the initial incident, the Hutts had begun arming their freighters, or sending armed escorts. This had not gone over well with the ROSF, and for over a year it seemed every other day he got a report about some standoff between Ranulph's militia and a Hutt freighter or warship.

The Hutts had also not accepted the trial of those responsible and payments as satisfactory. They had continued to insist that Ranulph disband the ROSF and refrain from ever expanding it again.

Valorum himself had tried to bring it to a vote, but that had failed at every turn. The Militarists and Reform parties had enough power with the moderates in the Senate that any vote would be deadlocked or fail.

"So it would seem, there was another incident only a few hours ago at Taris. A Hutt freighter out of Klatooine flew close to one of Ranulph's ships. Planetary control contained the issue, but that marks the fifteenth incident this year." Valorum sighed and downed the entire glass in one shot.

"We can't fight the Hutts, despite what Ranulph thinks, they have considerable military power. Not to mention the large number of displaced pirates and slavers to hire as mercenaries." Ranulph had given arms to the planets of the Outer Rim, and now all those grievances that had been blamed on the Cartels were coming to light.

"Is Senator Syndulla still advocating for open war?" The sigh was all Valorum had to say about that. Cham Syndulla had won the election for Senator of Ryloth almost unanimously. And ever since obtaining the position, he had advocated for stronger sanctions against the Hutt Cartels over their support of criminal groups.

Valorum sympathized, he truly did, but this wasn't the way to do this. Valorum had no doubts that the band of insurgent groups on the fringes of Hutt Space were connected to him in some way.

"We must handle this with diplomacy and tact. All Ranulph has done is arm the Outer Rim without solving the underlying problems. Ranulph has defeated poorly armed and trained criminals. The Hutts are not weak, they prefer their criminal dealings, but they are more prepared to fight a war than we are."

Palpatine offered a sympathetic nod; he was always good for that. He listened and carefully deliberated before responding. As far as Valorum was concerned, Palpatine should have been Chancellor, not him.

"Have you given any more thought to the cloners of Kamino? If violence is as inevitable as you say, then anything we can do to prepare would be wise." Valorum shook his head.

"If the Hutts found out, there would certainly be violence. I will not lead the Republic into war. My negotiations, will not fail." Palpatine nodded and took a sip of his drink.

"Perhaps, but if I may make a suggestion then?" Valorum leaned forward to listen.

"Go on."


	34. Book one: Part Twenty-two

Onderon, 36 BBY.

Being a bodyguard is pretty boring as it turns out. I got up before dawn, did some stretching, and checked again to make sure the princess is ok. No change from the last time I did my rounds. Thank the Force I have energy to spare; three hours of sleep is brutal. I hate it, but if it's what I have to do, that's fine.

We've been here for four days and nothing.

Satajayu Dendup's morning is dreadfully boring. For a young woman of nobility I was expecting a salacious affair or imperious commanding of servants and such. I had basically expected her to be as close to Cersei Lannister as I could remember.

Nope, she's quiet, methodical, and serene in her preparations for the day. I'm at the door when she exits her room, and I bow respectfully in greeting.

"Milady." I've assumed that to be the correct way to address someone of her rank, and she hasn't corrected me, so I assume it's right.

"Jedi Sarat," she says softly and nods in greeting before making her way down the hall. I fall into step behind her, and after we pass the edge of the hall, two guards join us. I don't actually know what the schedule is for today. Ehruss is going to start her patrol of the outer walls later, but I doubt I'll get the chance to join her.

Errol is three floors down; he's deployed Ashaiya to the roof as Overwatch. Sergeant Kader is on ground level, and he's patrolling the motor pool with Channa and Aurenn. I had initially wondered why his squad was so small, but the way he explained it, Havoc is actually made up of a hundred five man squads that serve across a number of stations and fronts.

Besides, King Dendup had also only approved of one squad coming to Onderon to supplement his forces. He's still on the fence about officially signing on with the ROSF and doesn't want to publicly appear to be one way or another yet.

Our walk is mostly silent as we trek across the palace and down a flight of stairs. Our destination is breakfast in the dining room. Just like the last four times: go for breakfast, eat, catch up with Ilena before following the princess on her rounds.

And what rounds they are, she does the same things every day. First she goes to the library and reads for a bit. Then she walks the garden for a few hours. She'll trim some of the plants there or relax by the trees. Next she goes to her study to do some kind of work for several hours, and then she's off to dinner.

After dinner she goes back to her room to paint for a little bit before bed, and then we repeat. I can only meditate safely while she's working in her study; there are too many potential dangers present otherwise.

At least she's decent enough company. Not that we've talked a lot, she seems to enjoy silence. I'm fine with that, and when she does talk it's a nice break from the quiet. I suppose conversation is as good a distraction as any.

We're in the garden now, casually strolling through thick rooted trees, blossoming flowers, and hanging vines stretching from tree to tree. There are guards scattered throughout, some obvious and some not. I give them a quick nod and they do likewise. It's good to know that we're on the same page here, as far as protecting the royal family are concerned.

Master Tavik has been out of contact, busy investigating the Mandalorian attackers. I still don't understand why they would target Onderon. There's nothing significant to them here right now; they gain nothing but attention from this.

"I can only assume this is nothing compared to the splendor of the Jedi Temple." Huh, what? Oh, I wasn't really focusing on her. The good thing about being a Miraluka is that no one knows when you're not paying attention to them. Satajayu is standing under one of the many trees in the garden, fingers tracing lines down the bark.

"Ah, well the Room of a Thousand Fountains is filled with flora from so many planets it's an achievement of the Order that they're harmonized together." It takes a number of biologists to make sure the plants can work in harmony, but the end result is surely beautiful. Satajayu Dendup looks at me for a moment before smiling and turning back to the tree she had been observing.

"You Jedi are not what I expected you would be." What, dashing guardians of peace and justice?

"I'm me, can I be anything else?" And that's my meaningless wisdom of the day. She giggles quietly; it wasn't that funny was it?

"I'm sorry if that's intrusive, my brother speaks endlessly of how cold your fellow is, and I had just wondered if you both were like that." Ilena? Ah that would explain some things. Ilena is not a very expressive woman, her actions speak louder than her words, or lack thereof. With someone she's entrusted to protect, it would be like talking to a brick wall. Prince Sadhana is a talker though, that's good information to know. I'm not sure why, but I'm sure it's useful.

"I'm not bothered, milady. And you can tell your brother that Ilena is a good woman, she's just very disciplined. But I encourage him to keep trying to get her to open up." Oh, please I want to see her composure crack.

"Oh, please call me Sata, it's easier for both of us that way." Alrighty, you can't really shorten that name any other way, can you? Jayu maybe? No, that sounds silly.

"Very well, Sata. you can call me Viera if you like." She smiles and that seems to be the end of our conversation for now. She goes back to wandering through the garden. Occasionally she'll stop to trim a bush or plant.

"Ah, Princess! Princess Satajayu!" A middle-aged man enters the garden, heading towards us at a brisk walk. General Tandin stops before the Princess and bows low. He was the one to repel the first attempted abduction, and King Dendup has assigned him full control of the defense.

"General Tandin, what can I help you with?" Satajayu offers the general a small smile, and the man seems to brighten at her attention. Hm, no sense of anything inappropriate there; I guess he's just a cheerful man. Good for him. He reaches into his vest and pulls out two data sticks. He hands one to Satajayu and then one to me.

"There you go. Jedi Sarat, I have decided that spontaneity will be the better defense against these Mandalorians. I've updated the guard patrols and emergency protocols. Should the palace be attacked, I have made new fallback points, for your protection." I nod and place the datastick into the pocket of my robe; I'll review that later.

Satajayu's smile disappears, and she places her datastick in her own pocket.

"Thank you, General Tandin, I trust your judgment on this matter, and hope we see a swift end to these criminals." Tandins bows and steps back to a formal distance.

"Of course, Princess. I assure you, we will have these thugs dealt with as soon as possible." He turns to depart, back to wherever he goes to do his duties. Satajayu sighs and crouches down to prune a dead branch from a small tree.

"I don't understand why these Mandalorians are attacking us. We've done nothing to them, and nothing to earn their ire." I shrug. Her guess is as good as mine. Could Vizsla want something symbolic by kidnapping the royalty of the first planet conquered by the Mandalorians in the Mandalorian war? That's my best guess at least.

"I don't know either, perhaps symbolism? The Mandalorian in charge of this group wants to return the rest of the Mandalorian people to the old days, when they had an empire. Onderon is a symbol of victory for their old empire." She stands and sighs, walking towards the exit We're on the move I guess.

"It has been thousands of years since the Mandalorian wars, surely there must be a better reason for them to wish to abduct us. This is foolishly risky for a symbolic reward that is not guaranteed to gain them anything." That is true. When we beat them down, we'll get an explanation I suppose.

We exit out of the gardens and turn right, back up towards the palace interior. We're going to her study I know it. We pass guards, servants, and other palace staff as we go. All give short bows to the Princess as she passes. Some give me odd looks, alternatively awed, confused, or even nervous.

No wonder, where Jedi go, trouble tends to follow sooner or later. Not that I try to bring trouble, it's just so attached, like a clingy ex-lover. Her study is four levels up, and thankfully there is an elevator going up.

We step into the elevator, and she presses the button. There's no elevator music, not sure why. Did no one ever think to add music to elevator rides, or is it just that this palace doesn't have it?

The study—or condo as I like to think of it—is about the size of my room, Master Tavik's room, and a sparring room put together. There are two desks pushed together with a data terminal a datapad, and two actual paper and ink books on Onderonian history and lore.

There's a holonet projector on a singular table with surrounding couches, enough for several people to rest comfortably. There's even a bed in the corner just in case she ends up pulling an all-nighter.

A luxury food-synthesizer rests in a corner on a long marble-esque counter with a collection of plates, utensils, and cups just in case she gets hungry. This is better than my old apartment, and she uses it as a study. The wealth and opulence of the rich and royal, it always surprises me.

Satajayu takes a seat at the desk and opens the data terminal, reaching for the nearby datapad and looking through it slowly. Okay, I have to know, what is she doing.

"So, you've done this every day since I started watching over you. What's this for?" She blinks and looks up at me, resting against the wall opposite of her.

"Ah, well I'm studying. I'm taking a long-distance course for the Corulag University of Economics. I'm taking classes on Actuarial and data analysis." Risk management in business? A bit strange for a Princess I would imagine.

"You're royalty, don't you have tutors for this kind of thing?" She frowns and leans back in her chair, looking up at the ceiling.

"I did, we both did, but I wanted additional education. I like business, and I hope to start a business of my own someday." Well, when your older brother is set to inherit a throne and you aren't, I guess you have to find some sort of hobby.

"What kind of business?" she shrugs and goes back to her schoolwork, gosh I vaguely remember my own college days, fun times.

"I don't know, something to benefit Onderon. I love my home, and my people. Something to bring wealth back home, but I can also use for charity work." Hmm, I had looked into this very briefly, but I wasn't ever going to make use of it. I have no desire to put in the amount of time required to make full use of it.

"You could go into mining, the Yavin system is abandoned right now, no one's mining the Corusca Gems from the gas giant. Stake a claim and start mining. Those gems are worth more than enough to fulfill both of those goals. I imagine that it could also provide enough profit to branch out into other business." She thinks about it for a moment before nodding to herself.

"I'll think about it, I've got some time before I get to that point in my life. Thank you Viera." I offer a thumbs up, and she goes back to work.

Alright, what's going on in the rest of the palace? Ilena is in the armory with Prince Sadhana; he's practiced with blaster rifles, pretty good according to Ilena. Master Bridger is in the throne room, guarding the King. Ehruss is on the roof with Ashaiya, and Errol is having a meeting with the rest of Havoc.

My stomach growls, and I frown; it has been a couple hours since breakfast. I usually munch on ration cubes to tide me over before dinner, but there is a food synthesizer right there. Speaking of, I don't remember her eating lunch any of the times she's been in here.

Why am I not surprised she forgets to eat, by the Force, why? There's something wrong when you have access to all the food you could need and you don't eat. I walk over to the desk and lightly rap on it. She jerks slightly and looks up at me.

"Ah, yes Viera? What's wrong?" I listen closely for the sound of a rumbling stomach, as I look at her.

"Have you eaten lunch today?" The blank look on her face is all the answer I need. I swear, workaholics, can't stand dealing with them sometimes. She had a light breakfast too. "Alright, I'm making something in the synthesizer, you're eating too."

I head over to the synthesizer and look over the various settings. Okay, what options do we have here?

Synthesizers are actually pretty cool here. It's like home-cooked meals with the speed of a microwave, the most amazing invention of this galaxy bar none. It seems to have a pretty good selection. I don't recognize more than a third of the things mentioned here, but I'm not picky anymore. Being part of the Order has purged that bad habit from me completely.

I'm not hungry, you don't need to do that for me!" I ignore her and decide to go for safety with selections I recognize. Ooh, it has brisket! I love brisket, I want that right there. I select something for her that looks like breaded fish fillets over some kind of vegetable and sauce.

Alright, place the plates inside, set the selection and now we wait. Her protests only increase as the food begins cooking. There's a chilled container with a milk like substance inside, I sniff at it before pouring two cups. I assume if she can drink it, I can drink it too.

"I'm not hungry, you don't need to do that!" The timer dings, and I grab both places, using the Force to lift the cups and required utensils. Her protests die down as I place the warm plate of food before her.

"You were saying?" I can hear her stomach growling, there is no use denying it. She sighs and sets down her work, taking the plate.

"I don't like you," she mumbles, and I laugh, oh but I love brisket. We eat in silence, no real desire for conversation in either of us. I'm just happy she's eating something; I always hate seeing people starve themselves by overworking. People should enjoy life and live as healthily as they can manage.

Especially with what's coming, assuming it still happens. I don't know what's going to happen now, if things will be better or worse here.

Afterwards she goes back to work, and I dispose of the plates and utensils. She's eaten something so I'm content to not bother her anymore. I make a mental note to make sure she eats a bigger breakfast tomorrow or has lunch here. Also, I should probably make sure her brother knows to check on her.

I wonder if she's writing a paper; I remember doing that. It was a lot of fun actually. I should probably look into doing that again, maybe I'll write some essays on my studies. Someday, when I'm older and I've experienced more, I might do that.

Though if I'm honest, that's probably a fast track to being labeled a maverick or something akin to that. Not sure how I feel about that, but then again once I become a Knight I'm probably going to avoid the Temple as much as I can.

I'd like being a wandering Jedi like Master Fay, or Master Antilles. It's certainly something I can do. I'll take missions from the Council when they have them but otherwise do more local work. I want to be a Knight-Errant, that sounds better than anything else I can think of doing.

Eventually she pushes back from the desk and stands up. Has it been five hours already? She heads for the elevator, and I follow behind her. We head down to the dining room for dinner, and I get to watch Ilena try and hold her composure against the day's events. She's so easy to poke when she's like this and it is amazing. Ehruss reports in from the comm, nothing out of the ordinary, and she's heading to eat and go to bed before her next shift.

Another day of nothing happening, we're going to go back to her room; she's going to paint for a little bit and then go to bed. I'm going to nap as much as I can before the day starts again.

Thank the Force for Matukai training. I couldn't do this without it.

We head back up the stairs and towards her bedroom. The two guards at the hallway entrance bow as we approach, and together we enter her bedroom. She heads immediately for the balcony and the awaiting canvas and paint. She'll paint a little bit of the Onderonian sunset and then retire for the evening.

Then she'll get up early in the morning and do it all again.

If nothing else, I like the routine of it. It makes things a bit more dangerous for watching her, but that's the tradeoff I guess. I'm confident in my ability to deal with the Mandalorians anyways, unless Jango Fett shows up.

"Could you step to the side Viera? I need to get an unobstructed view." Oh, am I in the way? Alright, I take a step to the side, and she nods, going back to her painting.

I hadn't thought I was in the way.

There's a tingling sensation at the back of my head, and I frown, that's strange. I hadn't sensed anything off before? But there's definitely something off now. I try to expand my senses further outward, and it's like a fog has settled over my perception of the world around me. That's not good at all.

Everything was fine just an hour ago! I grab my lightsaber and head to the balcony. I know something's wrong, but I can't tell from where, or what. A shot rings out, and in reflex I ignite my lightsaber and deflect it into the wall. Satajayu stands up quickly, knocking over her canvas as she steps behind me.

Where'd that come from! Another shot answers the first, this time coming from above. Ashaiya at least seems to have an idea what's going on. Then more sniper shots come, and I'm forced to back into the room, deflecting what I can.

The palace alarm goes off, and like that it's on. The Mandalorians are back.


	35. Interlude XII

Eriadu, 36BBY.

Ranulph Tarkin entered the conference room and smiled when the assembled men and women stood and saluted him.

"At ease." They all took their seats, and he strode to the head of the table, sitting down beside the newly titled Admiral Jace Dallin and Admiral Jerjerrod. He glanced around the table and was happy to note that every officer of the ROSF and allied parties had managed to make it to this briefing.

"I've called this meeting at the behest of Admiral Jonoin, regarding disturbing reports from Hutt Space." Jonoin stood, making her way to the terminal at the wall behind her, and activated the holoprojector on the table.

A display of the Outer Rim lit up across the table before zooming into Hutt Space. She pressed another button, and the image zoomed in further to the system level.

"We have been receiving numerous reports of Hutt military buildup in the Mulatan System. We have been unable to obtain an accurate account of how many ships, but the number of reports seems to imply a large force." Another flash and a series of reports began to flash across the screen.

Tarkin had seen these reports already, and he knew the part that would grab the attention of all of his officers. Eventually it was Admiral Fonn who brought it up; her lekku twitched slowly as she frowned over the display.

"What's this about the Hutts picking up Star Dreadnaughts? Why wasn't that the first thing mentioned?" There was muttered agreement, and Jonoin waited until all had quieted before speaking.

"Because these reports are unconfirmed, our scouts weren't able to stay long enough to confirm, but the possibilities raised are concerning. Assuming the reports are correct, the Hutts may indeed have a Praetor-class Battlecruiser and at least two Procurator Battlecruisers." The room fell silent as each contemplated this new development.

Any one of those ships, if properly armed, could tear through whatever they threw at it. Three of them would be a force multiplier they could not match in their current state, even with the steady growth of recruits.

"We should plan an attack immediately, if we can destroy them before they are remodeled then we have a chance," Admiral Arikakon Baraka said, shaking his webbed hand for emphasis.

"And if they've already been upgraded? Our attack will have been for nothing. We need more reconnaissance, not a foolhardy assault," Admiral Fonn countered quickly.

"A starfighter strikeforce maybe? Those new T-65's Incom produced have proved vastly superior and cheaper than the Aureks. Pair them with the BTL-A4's and we could amass a quick strike on the Hutts." Admiral Ethan Brahnx stroked his beard slowly. The Corellian Admiral leaned back in his seat and sighed; this was not good for the ROSF.

"And have you learned nothing, if a war-fleet could not take them down, then a fleet of starfighters will do no better. We need intelligence, commando operations could give us both needed intelligence and opportunities for sabotage." Admiral Targon said. Havoc Squad was a possibility, but Tarkin didn't want to use them yet.

Not yet, but soon.

"Enough, an aggressive action is out of the question, we must obey Republic law." Ranulph said firmly. He would not be seen as the aggressor; he could not afford to be seen as the aggressor. He had won some admiration from moderates for his staunch insistence on following Republic law. He would not lose that support now. It would set the military back years.

"We must not be seen as the aggressor in this conflict, if we are to win the hearts and minds of the Republic, we must obey the law we purport to defend." The criminals of the Outer Rim were one thing; they were endangering Republic worlds, and the law clearly said that planetary defense treaties allowed allied planets the right to engage pirates and other such criminals at will.

Hutt Space was still a sovereign entity, scum though they were, attacks on them would count as aggressive action. Valorum was just looking for an opportunity to ruin him, and he would be damned before he gave the man the ammo.

"Then what do you propose we do? Even if we continued to build ships at the rate we are, we can't hope to outclass those ships in firepower." Tarkin sighed and inserted a datastick into the terminal.

A new image appeared and the room fell silent once more. Then, slowly Admiral Fonn smirked, her lekku twitching appreciatively.

"I thought you wanted to obey the law. What do you call this?" Ranulph shrugged.

"They aren't finished, the Reformation says nothing about unfinished warships. And they're recently remodeled designs. I've got four of them built and plans for each of you to have one. They won't quite go toe to toe with the Hutt battlecruisers, but they'll even the odds enough."

He turned off the display and smirked, settling back into his chair.

"The best part is they're still a secret as far as I'm aware. We'll be ready to surprise them when the time comes." The rest of the Admirals nodded, and Ranulph turned to Jace.

"In the meantime, Alsakan has agreed to join the ROSF efforts. With them comes a great deal of funding, Jace here has the updated financial reports and we can divvy them up as needed."

From there, the conference turned to what had become standard arguments and discussion on how to fund their growing army. Ranulph sat through it silently, chuckling softly to himself.

The Hutts wanted a war? He could give them one.


	36. Book one: Part twenty-three

Onderon 36BBY

"Where are the palace shields!" That's a good question princess; where are the palace shields? We step back away from the balcony as her guards rush into the room.

Four of them rush to surround the princess, while the fifth stops before me.

"Jedi Sarat, Mandalorians are invading the palace. Master Bridger is leading the defense of the palace courtyard. He wants you to see the princess to the safe room and join him in the defense." Fair enough, I nod and reach into my robes for the datastick General Tandin gave me.

"Here, General Tandin changed around the safe rooms for spontaneity. This datastick has the location." The guard takes the datastick and leads the rest of his squad out of the room. I follow behind, Satajayu's safe between us.

With my perception being clouded, I can't sense the danger coming, but I still have sight. Ehruss is two floors up and running to the defense; I'll find her later. Ashaiya is still sniping from the roof, but the rest of Havoc Squad is in the courtyard with Master Bridger.

There are a lot of Mandalorians out there. Ilena is four floors up with Prince Sadhana. I'll meet up with her at the safe room, and we can go join the defense. An explosion rings out, and her room is pulverized as a half dozen Mandalorians enter. They move quickly to secure the room as a dozen more follow in behind them. We won't have much time before they catch up to us.

"How much farther?" I ask as we move down the hall; eighteen Mandalorians in a narrow hallway isn't going to end well for us. Could I take them... possibly. Would anyone else survive? Definitely not.

"The elevator is right down the hall, it will lead us to the lower floors where the safe room is located." I nod and take the rearguard, lightsaber ignited, as the first of the Mandalorians rounded the corner.

Blasterfire erupts as I fall back into the Shien forms. Deflected shots fly back towards the Mandalorians on the opposite end of the hall. Two fall back, injured but not killed, before the rest begin activating short shields on their gauntlets.

Those are a thing here! The Mandalorians assemble into a crude shield wall and continue their advance, firing through the small gaps in the shield. Well this is awkward. I just need to hold them off till the elevator is ready though.

"Someone shut down the elevator!" Wait, what? The Onderonian guards take cover at the edge of the nearby wall and return fire, but without heavy ordinance or a way to get around them this is pointless.

"Can you force the doors open?" I summon the Force and push forwards, the wave of Force slams into the shield wall and send the Mandalorians stumbling backwards. A stream of fire from the guards pelt the breach with blasterfire, but it's not enough. Three of them are dead, but they're already reforming the shield wall.

There's a grinding sound as two of the guards force the door open. That's a long way down, and we'd have to climb. More Mandalorians come from around the corner to join their comrades. Where are the rest of the palace guard? A lot of them must have been redirected to the front gate to repel the main assault.

"Master Jedi, take the princess, get her to safety, we'll cover you!" That's a suicide mission, but Force it might be the best option we have. There are thirty Mandalorians enroute now. Okay, I hate it, but down we go.

"Sata, get over here, the rest of you, may the Force be with you." I duck around the corner and step up to the edge of the elevator shaft. Sata steps up behind me and wraps her arms around my neck as I slowly edge myself down to start the climb. The rest of the guards go to fire at the advancing Mandalorians.

Those brave souls. I continue my descent. I don't know how long she can hold onto me, but it's best not to risk it, and if those Mandalorians get a shot on us in this situation, I'm dead.

There are a number of guards at our floor thankfully. I just need to get down to them. Above me there's a detonation; someone used a rocket it seems. I haven't prayed in a very long time, but I can pray once for them.

"Hold on Sata, we're almost there." I reach out with the Force to the elevator doors before me and slowly force them open. The guards on the other side level their blasters at me but lower them when they notice who it is. The lead guard reaches out to help the princess safely onto the floor as I pull myself in after them.

"Sata, do you have the datastick General Tandin gave you?" She nods and gives it to me. I hand it to the closest guard and reignite my lightsaber.

"We need to get the princess to safety." Some of the Mandalorians are making their way down the elevator shaft, and I turn my focus back to the door. The first Mandalorian is overzealous and descends into range my lightsaber. I lash out and sever his head from his torso. The body descends down the elevator shaft, and I duck back as blasterfire shoots down at me from the others.

Okay, plan time, the elevator itself is at the top of the shaft. The Mandalorians are flying in the shaft below it. I reach out for the elevator itself and tug it downwards.

The cables struggle and resist, but the Force is stronger than that. I feel the cable snapping, metal cords ripping as the elevator rockets downwards. The Mandalorians react quickly, but not quickly enough as a fair number of them get smashed downwards.

Alright, time to move. I rush to catch up with Satajayu and her guards. They're down the hall a ways, and it looks like a pretty clear shot to the safehouse. Behind us, a dozen Mandalorians emerge relatively safely from the elevator shaft. I can work with that.

"Go on ahead, I'll deal with them. Get the Princess to the safe room." I turn about and begin deflecting shots again as the Mandalorians form their shield wall. This hallway is larger though so there are more gaps.

Behind me though is a larger room where I can make that shield wall ineffective. There's another hallway leading off from it where the safe room is. I can lead them there, kill them, and wait for Ilena to arrive with Prince Sadhana.

I begin retreating slowly, and the Mandalorians press the attack. Okay let them follow, the princess has enough of a head start to be fine. I've got a plan, and I am set. I breathe in and give myself completely to the Force. The Force flows through me as I retreat. My body has become a conduit for the Force, directing my lightsaber at the incoming blasterfire effortlessly.

Step backwards, deflect another shot to the ground, the room around me is larger, and I've got some room to maneuver now. The Mandalorians have realized this and surge forwards and out. They're smart enough to realize their shield wall is useless in the confines of the larger room.

They need to get past me though and the best way they can think of is to stay mobile, fire from multiple directions, and avoid my deflections. Their problem is that I am aware of that too and more than able to stay mobile with them.

My second lightsaber ignites and joins the first as I spin and whirl around the room. Every Mandalorian here was dead the minute they decided to attack. All that is left is to finish what they started.

The Matukai taught me to move quickly and agilely. I rush forward and leap up, striking at the two Mandalorians closest to me. They halt their movements and go low, but my lightsabers are already there waiting, and their deaths are instant.

The Force warns me of incoming fire, and I slip to the side as three of them attempt to flank me, firing wildly at my legs. I reach out, and the Force answers my call, pulling the first towards my swinging lightsabers. The blade enters her chest quickly, piercing her heart in one fluid movement, as my second lightsaber deflects a shot into her friend's leg. He crumples from the pain, and a Force pull sends him into my awaiting lightsabers.

The third backpedals and tries to activate his jetpack, but I'm already in the air. My descending lightsaber cuts through his arms and shoulders as his life ends.

Seven more to go, three of them extend what look like vibroblades from their gauntlets and advance as the rest continue giving cover fire. I wait for them to approach, feet planted firmly as the first strikes.

I block the first, cortosis weave or beskar I wonder, and press forward into his guard. The second swings, and I catch his with my offhand, deflecting his attack to the right. I lash out with a kick that catches the third in the chest. He falls back, and I focus on the first Mandalorian, batting aside his first defense and slicing down across his chest.

He falls, and the second lunges at my back. I drop down and kick out at his extended left leg. The force knocks him off balance, and I bring up my lightsabers into his chest. The third Mandalorian steps back, unwilling to get close where his comrades were decimated. Instead he leans down and aims his rocket straight at me.

I push back and he goes flying back, his rocket ignites and catches two of his friends in the ensuing explosion. Two left, the remaining Mandalorians take off again and try to flank me, firing steady, aimed shots at me.

The encounter with the Krayt Dragon gave me a bit of practice with this ability, and I toss my offhand saber at one, letting the Force guide its trajectory as I turn to deflect the fire of the other. The saber lands home in the Mandalorian's chestplate just as a deflected shot slams into his friend.

Ten minutes and twelve Mandalorians dead; I wonder how much experience I got from that. Where is Ilena anyways? She should have gotten here with Prince Sadhana by now.

I stretch out for her presence in the Force….she's across the palace, why is she across the palace? She and the prince are entering a room with some palace guard...is that the old safe room. Did nobody tell them we moved? I turn back around to where the princess and her own guards left.

I don't sense any of them, oh Force. I sprint down the hallway after them. There's a traitor in the palace, and I believe I know who. As I near the hallway, things begin to become clearer again. It's frustrating, not being able to sense what's coming. At least as far as my danger sense usually goes.

There's a loading dock up ahead. Why did no one realize this was a loading dock and not a safe room? Panic I suppose. I made the same mistake, but there was nothing to suggest Tandin was a traitor. I didn't sense anything off about him.

The bodies of guards littering the ground ahead of me is worrying. The loading dock filled with Mandalorians is even more worrying.

One of them is dragging Satajayu towards a waiting transport. I reach out with the Force, and his leg twists, buckling and forcing him to drop her in pain. The others turn and raise their weapons, but their leader waves them off.

"Well well, the Jedi realizes the trap. I wondered if you would." I try for my comlink, signals jammed. Of course it is, I can't leave to get help; they'll just take her.

I raise my lightsabers and stop before them. Alright, the situation is a little more tense here I think. They want Satajayu alive, but if this battle gets intense it'll be hard to protect her from a stray shot.

"Lay down your weapons and surrender, you are all under arrest for attempted kidnapping." The lead Mandalorian laughs and reaches for something on his back, a hilt? He presses a button and the lightsaber comes to life.

This is Viszla! That's the Darksaber. This is more than a simple kidnapping then. The Death Watch must really be invested in this for some reason. He adopts a stance, and I match him. He's not a Jedi, but he's probably at least somewhat skilled at dueling.

That said, even if I beat him, then what? The other Mandalorians will just kill me while I'm weakened from the duel. I can't do nothing though, not when it would mean letting them take Satajayu to who knows where. I don't have a tracker on me, so that's out.

"It's good that you arrived, my employer wants you as well. I normally don't do last-minute adjustments to targets, but with the reward he's offering I decided to oblige." He lunges forward, and I meet him, blocking with my main hand and thrusting with the offhand saber. He darts to the side, disengages, and swings for my legs.

I leap up and backwards, preparing to attack again. I'm wanted too? I can't imagine by who, the Kerazak Slavers maybe? I mean, they could have discovered my identity and want revenge for Dioll and Terminus.

A bit odd that they'd use Death Watch for it, but after Tarkin threw the criminal cartels in the Rim into chaos, it's been strange bedfellows.

I lunge, and the Darksaber blocks again. I push forward with my mainhand saber to lock it in place. My offhand blade lashes out for a quick beheading and slides harmlessly off of his helmet. He pushes back and forces me to retreat a step as he attacks.

So, he has a beskar helmet, that's a bit problematic for me. We exchange a flurry of blows, me leaping away from his more aggressive attacks, and him weaving away from mine. But again, he exposes himself for an opening, and I lunge at his chest plate.

Again it slides off his chestplate harmlessly. A Beskar chestplate as well, even more troubling. I'm not done yet though, this isn't over by a longshot. Viszla waits for me; I can feel the smirk on his face.

"Surprised Jedi, are you ready to surrender?" I meet him again, and our blades lock together. He pushes against me, and I let the Force flow through my muscles, adding force to them as I slowly overpower his defenses.

He lets me overwhelm his defense, and I have a sinking suspicion as to why. Eventually he disengages to retreat, and I take the opportunity to confirm something I had suspected. My lightsabers lash out quickly at his arms and legs. No effect once again.

He has an entire suit of pure Beskar armor. I can get past his armor, but the amount of time it would take to do so would be incredible. This fight is going to be a lot harder now, not impossible but a lot more difficult

"How? Beskar is incredibly rare." It is, how did he do this! Viszla shrugs and flourishes the Darksaber as he waits for me.

"A gift from a friend, he hired me for a job and offered this as payment, succeed or fail. I was more than happy to take the offer." That tells me nothing; I hate you Viszla.

"There's more than one way to defeat you, I've got several." I could try to throw him around with the Force, but then his friends are likely to join in. Granted, anything I try could get his friends to attack, if I'm successful. But, since he wants to take me alive. I've got a preferable option

"Try it Jedi, my employer doesn't need you in top condition." I have an idea. It's not a great idea, but none of my options are particularly great. But, oh the possibilities, he isn't expecting it. I'd be shocked if he did.

I turn my lightsabers off and place them on my belt before adopting a Matukai fighting stance. Viszla is thrown for a loop, I can feel the shock in his aura, he doesn't know what's coming.

"Have you given up already, Jedi? You think to fight me unarmed?" I smirk and offer him a 'come and get me' gesture.

"You're not worthy of my lightsabers, I don't need them." Oh, that pissed him off. I can feel the rage in his aura, but he turns off the Darksaber and places it on his back. He cracks his knuckles and growls something I don't understand.

"You're worth more to me alive than dead, consider yourself lucky because I'd skewer you otherwise." He lunges at me, and I rush to meet him.

I've made sure to practice the Matukai techniques these past few years, and one of the ones I never had much chance to use is hardening my hands to avoid damage. Punching an armored man doesn't hurt as much as I'd expect. He swings for my head, and it's almost contemptibly easy to move out of the way. My own fist connects with his chest, and he stumbles back.

It looks like kinetic force can make it past his armor just fine. He tries to attack again, and I step back and roundhouse him in the chest. He recovers and comes at me again, igniting his jetpack at the last second to slam into me as hard as he can. The force takes us back into one of the shipping containers nearby, and I wince as my back explodes into pain.

I place my feet against the metal of the container, grab hold of his chest and kick off, driving him into the ground. He punches and kicks at me enough to force me off of him, and as he stands back up I take pleasure in noting the pain in his back.

"You've got some spunk Jedi, I'll give you that. It won't stop me though." He charges in again, and I wait to meet him, lure him in. He tries a right hook, and I smirk.

I reach out and deflect his wrist upwards, moving into his guard and uppercutting him hard. Shoryuken! Again he's knocked back. See, the thing is, I'm faster and more agile than him. In a normal duel my lightsabers would have cut him into pieces.

But here, my fists are more effective, I can dodge and weave around his attacks and pummel him in a way that actually hurts him. Not as much as I'd like, but it's a start.

"What's the matter Mandalorian, hurts doesn't it? You're used to losing to Jedi aren't you?" He roars, and the flamethrower on his gauntlet ignites a steady stream of flames towards me. What was that about taking me alive?

Calling on the Force again, I meet the flames head on. My body cools to match the flames long enough for me to grasp his wrist and sucker punch him with my free hand. Again, he goes down, and gets back up slowly.

"That's enough, subdue her!" The rest of his coterie jumps into action, and I call my lightsabers back to my hands. They ignite with a snap-hiss, and it's back to battle. Blasterfire erupts around me, and I deflect as much as I can.

Two Mandalorians grab grenades and toss them at me. I stretch out with the Force to deflect them, only for them to remain steady. Magnetic lock? I jump back as the gas explodes around me.

Okay, don't let it touch me, don't breathe it in. I backpedal and continue to block incoming shots as I retreat. Another gas grenade lands behind me and explodes into a gaseous cloud. I can't get away in time and me left arm is caught in the gas.

Instantly it begins to go numb and I curse inwardly, more grenades go off around me, they're penning me in. Alright, leap over it, if I can just buy enough time, someone will come. The Matukai taught me how to purge such things from my body, but it takes time. Alright, focus the Force on the arm, isolate the irregularity. Another grenade sails out of the gas and explodes below me. Noise blasts out and I cry out in pain. The sound is deafening; I can't focus.

Grah, fight through it! A cable launches from the gas and wraps around my leg before I can cut it; it yanks me down into the gas. Something impacts on my skin, poison flowing into my veins. Purge it quickly! I try to stand and can barely manage it. More impacts against my skin, and I'm forced to my knees.

I can't move. I can't fight it. Pain is lancing through my body, and my body is going numb. My lightsabers slip through my hands and to the ground as my sight begins to waver and dim. Viszla steps up towards me and cocks back his hand. I see his fist for a brief moment before my skull explodes into pain, and I'm out like a light.


	37. Book one: Part Twenty-four

Oh, my head. Did someone get the number of that freighter? My head is pounding but as I come to my senses, the pain begins to , consciousness returns slowly and I do my best to remain still. If I'm lucky they won't realize I'm awake. Where am I? There's soft grass beneath my feet, and I can smell the dirt around me. A vague animalistic sound echoes in the distance and is answered by similar noises.

I've a bad feeling where I am. My vision returns, and my worst fears are confirmed. The Tomb of Freedon Nadd is directly across from me, the jungles of Dxun behind me, and I'm surrounded by half a dozen Mandalorians all with blasters pointed at me.

My hands are shackled, and none of them have my lightsabers on them, lovely. I don't see Satajayu anywhere, which is worrying. I can see onto the ship, and she's not there, so the Tomb? Exactly where I don't want to go, and also where I'm likely headed.

"Get up, Jedi, we know you're awake." Alright, that jig is up I guess. I stand slowly and somewhat awkwardly. What the hell happened to my robes? They're in tatters. Oh, right I went headfirst into a flamethrower to punch Viszla in the face. Worth it.

How much time has passed since I was out? It can't have been too long. They have to know we're gone by now, right? I try to reach out for Master Tavik, or Ilena, but I don't know if they can feel my presence. Just keep trying; it's my only hope right now.

The two Mandalorians immediately in front of me step to the side and wave me forward. I hate this already. Could I take them down unarmed? Possibly, but it would be extremely risky without lightsabers to deflect blasterfire. Not to mention I don't know if they have a sniper watching from a distance; that would be the end of me.

I need to find the princess and figure out what's going on, play along for now I guess. I start walking forward, and the rest fall into step behind me. I can feel their weapons aimed at my back. I wish I had some grenades to even the odds.

Actually, wait a minute. Some of them have grenades on them, not gas or sonic but thermal detonators. Ooh, that's interesting, I can make use of that later. First, I need to find out if someone inside the tomb has my lightsabers.

The Dark Side is everywhere on this moon, permeating everything. It's hard to differentiate the desire for violence of the Mandalorians from everything else. There's a pounding in the back of my head, a constant thrum of hate and anger.

It's not mine I hope; I am pretty annoyed. I hate Death Watch, granted I also hate certain depictions of other Mandalorians, but Death Watch has a special place in my heart.

The tomb is in remarkable condition for being over five thousand years old. I am seriously impressed with the building materials available to this universe. People back home would kill for stuff this good.

As we near the entrance, the Dark Side presence begins skyrocketing around me. Breathe in, and breathe out, let go of the anger, detach. I can't be angry now. I need to focus and plan if I want to save Satajayu and stop whatever's happening.

I can't see what's on the other side of the walls. I wonder if that's a property of the stone or if the Dark Side is interfering. That isn't a promising start to this, but what's worse is how off this whole place is. There's a boiling sensation beneath my skin, like a fire ready to burst.

There are decayed corpse scattered about the tomb as we walk; I suspect no animal has wanted to go anywhere near this place. Anything that died here just rotted. I wonder how many of these corpses are Sith or Dark Jedi. Freedon Nadd's spirit is gone, right? I assume it is, unless someone brought him back. I don't know who would be stupid enough to do that though.

The Mandalorians don't like this place either; I can feel their unease under all the bloodlust. They're at least smart enough to know the danger of this place, if only subconsciously.

"You know, you could always surrender now, I'm sure that in the chaos you could slip out of here safely with no one the wiser." The one closest to me slams his blaster rifle into my back, and I wince. Okay, asshole, you're going to be the first victim of my lightsabers.

Tandin as well, oh please let him show up here, I will gladly cut him to pieces. Okay, but what could he want with the princess? A ransom makes no sense. Sure they'd pay it, but then what? Everyone would know his crime, and he'd be forced on the run. Even if he didn't show up in person, people would notice his sudden opulent wealth.

Wait, didn't Onderon have a Naddist cult at some point in its past? What if they still have it, and the princess is a piece of a ritual to bring his spirit back? That's….not good at all, no I don't want that to happen. Tandin wasn't crazy in the show though. What could have changed to make his personality change so drastically?

Okay, these are all possibilities, but I shouldn't focus too much on any one of them until I have more information. We're coming up on a chamber now, and there's light coming from it. I center myself once again and enter the chamber.

It's large; that's the first thing I note. Easily the size of the Temple entry hall, with marble pillars and great stone obelisks. Pools of still water rest on either side of walkway leading up to a set of stairs and dais. Braziers dot the room as stone statues of Nadd stand menacingly over cowering subjects. What a prick.

There are more Mandalorians in here, a dozen, including Viszla. Next to him on the dais is Tandin, standing over an altar upon which lay Satajayu. One of Viszla's Mandalorians has a blaster pointed at her head, but she's alive and conscious.

Hey, Viszla has my lightsabers, alright. That's what I needed to see. Now how well armed are the rest of them?

The Mandalorians have blaster rifles, some of them have thermal detonators, and I think two of them even have vibroswords. Okay, generic melee enemies ahoy. I don't see any weapons on Tandin. In fact, I don't see much of anything about him.

I can tell he's physically standing there, but there's a shimmering around him that I can't identify. Whatever it is, I can't see if he's carrying any hidden weapons or even really what he might be feeling. That's not good.

Tandin waves in my direction when he spots us coming in. There's an, I assume, cheerful smile on his face. He looks like the kid who got everything he wanted for Christmas. Asshole, I'm going to gut you like a fish.

Satajayu looks at me, I can feel the fear in her aura, but she's fine for now. I'll get her to safety as soon as I can.

"The Jedi awakens, I had feared you might sleep forever. I do hope Viszla here wasn't too rough with you. He's a good warrior, but a bit overzealous where Jedi are concerned. But the fee I promised him is well worth the trouble I assume." He squints in the direction of Viszla.

"Your men have found the treasures I promised you, correct? I feel we will not have much time before they discover this place." Viszla nods, and I resist the urge to call my lightsabers to me. Not yet.

"We're loading them up as we speak, they'll be gone before the authorities arrive, I hadn't thought any of them were left, does this conclude our business?" Tandin shrugs as Viszla hands him my lightsabers. Then he turns and walks down the stairs to stand before me. Oh, I could grab my lightsabers and kill him now. Doing that would mean Sata's death, I've still got a job to do.

"Oh, dear Jedi, once the ritual is done, you and I will have so much to talk about. I have so much to show you, you will scream for death by the end. I will have my satisfaction though." He smiles and walks back up towards the dais. Okay, I think that's enough. I don't want to see whatever ritual he comes up with.

Alright, let's see, who are the unlucky people who have thermal detonators on their belts. I count five of them.

"Say, those are some nice grenades you have there." Their confused reaction is expected, but by the way Tandin steps back, he's realized what I'm doing. Too late though, I reach out with the Force and press the activator for every one of those grenades.

The simultaneous beeping sounds and the panic I feel in the Force is invigorating. Even as I leap into the air amid their distraction, my lightsabers sail towards me. The snap-hiss of their activation is music to my ears as the first sails towards me, cutting the manacles on my hand. I grab it just as the second reaches my other hand.

Alright, back in business, I descend towards the altar as an explosion rocks the chamber. Thankfully, Viszla and his fellows on the dais didn't have any grenades. As I land, my lightsabers are already lashing out, stabbing the other Mandalorian on the dais in the heart as the other blade sails for Tandin's head.

He steps back easily, and his smirk is still present. I hear Viszla's DarkSaber ignite as he lunges for me. Okay, block the strike and push back. The rest of his fellows are either dead, dying or wounded. Just him, Tandin, and me. This time I'm not going to hold back like I did before. I'm going to kill him, even if I have to beat him with my bare hands. I can hear Tandin speaking but not what—I'm a bit busy anyways.

The second Mandalorian on the dais grabs a vibrosword and swings for me while I'm distracted. My free saber blocks his swing.

Viszla disengages and thrusts at me; I bat the attack away and swing for his head. The armor takes the hit but the way his head jerks from the force is satisfying enough. Okay, reach out with the Force, push and let the kinetic force flow outwards. Viszla takes it in the chest and is sent spiraling off of the dais and into one of the pillars. The second Mandalorian tries to back up but I press into his attack and swing my other lightsaber across his chest, and he's out of the fight.

I turn on Tandin, but he's already backing away from me. He's still smiling though, and I hear Satajayu gasp.

"Viera! Look out!" What? I turn to look where she is and frown, oh what is that. What in the name of the Force is that!

The beast approaching us is built of bone, claw and sinew. A misshapen and deformed thing, full of power and rage. The Dark Side flows through it in waves, and each step brings it closer to us. What's worse, the Mandalorians are getting back up. There's no life in them though, and as they shamble ahead of the beast, I hear more chanting. I grab hold of Satajayu and leap away just as something impacts behind me. I don't know what it was, but it would have probably killed me.

Tandin isn't a simple Naddist it seems. Sith magic and a Dark Side beast, that's a problem. It's blocking my exit, so I carry her with me towards one of the side passages. Let's get some space and figure this out. I need a plan.

"Put me down, I can run with you." I do so, and we make our way down this passage. I can only hope this works.

"Viera, what was that! What's going on? I don't understand." I wish I did!

"That was a Dark Side beast, and it seems Tandin knows some Sith magic. I don't know how he learned it though." That's not knowledge that is easy to find.

"What do we do now?" Good question, I suppose if we can slip out the front entrance we can steal the ship there and take off back to Onderon.

"We do our best to avoid those things and get out of here. I said I'd keep you safe, and that's what I'll do." I can see the fear in her aura, but it's muting slowly, replaced by hope.

"Thank you, Viera, I'm in your debt." Nah, nothing to worry about, I'd do it regardless.

'Jedi' I tense and search for the source of the voice. I can't see anyone nearby, and the Dark Side clouds everything. I step back warily, and Sata stays behind me. Something's off, and I can't tell what.

'Jedi' Again the voice whispers, like a leaf on the wind, it drifts down the hall and through my skull. Where is it coming from! Who is it coming from! That voice isn't Tandin.

Then from down the corridor, I see something, a shimmer akin to a mirage. It rockets towards me, a form of….something, and I push out with the Force towards it. The form bursts and reforms as I turn to pick up Sata and take off running again.

I call on the Force for speed as the shade approaches from behind. I'm only barely ahead of it. I don't know what it wants, but I know it's nothing good. Around a corner and down another long hallway, I'm thoroughly lost now.

'Die, Jedi' Oh fuck off, I don't need this right now! I summon the Force again and push backwards only for the shade to reform. How do I kill you!

There's a groaning sound ahead, one of the Mandalorians? Jang steps from around the corner, body burnt and cracking. She reaches out for me, and I dodge to the side. The shade screams at me and continues the chase.

Another twist and the room spins before me, what the fuck. A shambling corpse that looks suspiciously like Ilena bubbles up from the stone floor. Sata screams, and I call upon the Force once again for another push that blasts it apart.

It dissolves into mist and reforms once more. As it reforms, the image shifts from Ilena, to Jai and Jang. Maks, Zey, and Politrix as well. Is this the shade or Tandin? Whatever it is, it's suitably horrifying.

The corpse lunges up and grabs hold of my leg. Jang's burn and desiccated face screams as it drags me to the ground. The shade settles above us and flies down at me; it stops just inches from me and screams. Then it explodes into mist and swarms down into my throat and through my nose. I hack and cough, rolling on the ground as...something swarms around inside me. I shake uncontrollably as my whole body spasms.

Pain is burning through me; I can feel it moving through my body. Get out, this isn't yours! My throat constricts and expands. There's a burning sensation running through my skull.

Lightning crackles around me and my body slams into the walls as the shade attempts to kill me from within and without.

'Die Jedi, die!' No, I refuse. I call on the Force, that invigorating warmth blossoms inside me, building in my chest and spreading outwards. Focus on it, it's like poison, expel it from the body.

The shade screams at me and rattles inside my body. I'm sailing upwards into the ceiling and cry out as it slams me into the ceiling then the floor again. But I just have to hold onto the Force, onto the Light. The sun touches everything, and dark things flee before it's brilliance. The Matukai taught me to know my body completely and totally. It's so much easier with that knowledge, to isolate this specter and Force it outwards. Begone foul demon!

I can feel the Force burning in me, pushing at the shade until it bursts. There's a long, screaming echo as the shade departs, and I gasp as finally I can breathe normally again. I slump back to the ground and just lay there, breathing heavily. That was, intense, my body hurts, and my mind feels like it went through a ringer.

Sata rushes to me and kneels beside me. I can see her worry in the Force as she looks over me for any signs of injury. I'm betting there's an internal injury somewhere, nothing she can do anything about right now.

"Viera, what was that! Are you okay? We need to go." I know, but everything hurts. I try to sit up only to hiss in pain, alright draw inwards. Disconnect from the pain, slowly that's it. She grabs hold of my shoulders and helps to lift me up.

"Ah, that hurts. I'm doing the best I can, but you have to run if anything comes around the corner." I'm not going to be able to protect her right now. The pain in my legs is lessening, but everything still hurts like hell.

"No, I'm not leaving you. I wouldn't know where to go, and you're doing all this to protect me. It's the least I can do to help you." Bless her she's so sweet, foolhardy, but sweet. I reach for the wall to stand, and she helps me to my feet, straining under my weight. My legs are shaking, but I'm on my feet. I offer a smile that she returns.

"Thanks, Sata. We should keep moving before whatever that was, comes back." She nods, and we begin to move slowly down the corridor again. As we walk, my legs become steadier, and I can feel the pain leaving me. I'm going to suffer once this is all said and done, but for now this will do.

What's my game plan here? I don't know where we are, going backwards could help, but it'll just lead me back to Tandin and his horrors. I can't leave Sata here to go fight them because of that damnable shade. Going further in is our only hope for the moment.

"Viera, I hear something." Oh what now! I hear it too and turn towards the sound, something else emerges from the walls behind us. Like the shade before, but different, something more. A burst of adrenaline rushes through me as I pick Sata up and run again.

There's a chamber ahead of us, I don't know what's in it, but it's better than this hellish corridor. As I burst through the entrance, a bolt of something lands just behind me and sends me stumbling to the ground.

I'm forced to let go of Sata, and she rolls across the chamber as I land. Another wave of Force slams into me and sends me sailing across the room. Okay, ouch, that hurts a lot. I do my best to stand up, even as the new specter hovers in front of me.

It's a woman, I think, but I can't determine much more than that. That isn't Nadd though, I lash out with the Force, and the shade bats aside my attack. Alright, that's even more worrying, what the hell am I supposed to do.

'Die in defeat Jedi, I will rejoin the mortal coil once again' Like hell I will. I wave Sata back, and she stays a good distance away.

"A Jedi's life is sacrifice, I may die, but you won't win either." I raise my lightsabers. I don't know if they can hurt it, but I'll sure as hell try. I rush at it and cut at it's form. The woman drifts backwards out of range of the strike. That's good, right? If it's dodging it, it must be dangerous.

'Sutta Chwitsuskak' A bolt of Dark power forms again and hurls towards me. I raise my lightsaber, step to the side and cut at it. The bolt dissipates, and I turn back just as a bolt of lightning surges towards me.

I plant my feet and raise my lightsaber to deflect, even still I'm pushed back. This thing has too much power. It repeats the previous incantation, and another bolt forms, even as it continues to pour lightning at me.

"I'd rather not outlive you, padawan." A blast of Force energy slams into the specter from behind and forces it to explode into mist. Already it's reforming, but I can only watch in awe as Master Tavik enters the chamber, his lightsaber drawn. It might just be the this tomb's Dark Side presence, but he is a beacon of light.

"Is that really you, Master Tavik?" How did he get here, what's going on! He smiles and comes to stand beside me, even as the specter reforms above us.

"Yes, I found the Mandalorian's staging site just after they left to attack the palace, and by the time I got back to the palace, they were leaving. We found where you and the princess were kidnapped and I felt you leaving the planet. When you reached out for me, from the moon I knew exactly where to go." He points his lightsaber at the specter.

"Where are the others?" The Specter attacks, flinging lightning at the two of us, and we raise our sabers in unison to block the lightning. He shifts his saber to redirect the lightning back, and the Specter screams at us.

"They're at the entrance, fighting Tandin and those things he has. Master Bridger, Padawan Xan, Ehruss and Havoc." The Specter drifts around us, bolts flinging one after the other. Master Tavik moves with me, the two of us acting in concert to deflect or destroy it's attacks.

It spreads its hands out, and the Force offers the briefest warning. I roll to the side as does Master Tavik. I don't know what we dodged, but we did. Summon the Force, let it flow through the skin, push it outwards and let it fly. The ball of Force energy sails towards the specter.

It misses as the specter dodges to the side, but Master Tavik is there, lightsaber swinging. It cuts through the specter's leg, and it howls in pain, the Force screaming outwards, knocking the two of us back. The chamber shakes as an obelisk raises up from the ground and soars towards us.

I reach out to catch it with the Force as lightning bursts from the specter's hands. Master Tavik is there to block, even as the obelisk slows down, and I redirect it towards the specter. The obelisk sails through it but the following blast of Force energy does not.

'I will make you suffer, Jedi!' The specter screams at us and flies into the wall, disappearing through it. I raise my hands in victory and resist the urge to slump to the ground. Master Tavik is there beside me, and with nothing else endangering us, Sata heads towards us.

"Come on padawan, let's head back to the main chamber." I nod, and we head back down the corridor. Is it going to come back at us? I'm wondering cause that sounded ominous, but then it left.

"Are you alright, padawan?" I nod slowly. I'm about as alright as could be expected.

"I'm not gonna lie, I am going to sleep for days when we get back to the Temple." He chuckles and continues to lead me down the corridor.

When we emerge back into the main corridor, it is to a mess of limbs and ichor. Ilena, Ehruss and Master Bridger are standing over the corpse of the beast from before. Ehruss is picking at it, looking for a suitable trophy. Errol and the rest of Havoc Squad have more or less secured the room, and Onderonian guardsmen are pouring into the chamber. I see Ilena, wave, and smile when she nods in return. Captain Errol gives a thumbs up.

"Good to see you, padawan. We came to rescue you and the princess, glad to see you're not dead, but you missed the real party." I shrug and grin as Channa rushes up to the three of us, checking over me and Sata.

"Where's Viszla?" Master Tavik shakes his head.

"He wasn't here when we got here, I've no idea, but he's probably gone." Ilena and Master Bridger approach us as Channa finishes her scan.

"Tandin's gone, the minute we got here he retreated. He had a lightsaber too, dueled Ilena for a bit before escaping." Ilena shakes her head slowly.

"He was fairly good, but I would have had him if the fight continued." That's...odd. Where did he get lightsaber training without being noticed by the Order.

The tomb shakes, slowly but increasingly steadily, and we all reflexively look up. The ceiling is shaking and cracking, ah shit. Pillars collapse around us, and we all take off running down the path.

So, this is what it meant. It's trying to collapse the tomb on us; that's fine. I stop to once again pick up Sata before running again. It's a short trip to the tomb entrance, and by the Force we make it with no casualties.

As we stand outside in the Dxun jungle, dusk approaching and my everything sore beyond belief, I set Sata down and turn to Master Tavik. The tomb is steadily collapsing, rocks coming undone.

"Well, I guess we won't have to worry about demolishing this place. Though, I think no one would mind an orbital bombardment, right?"


	38. Interlude XIII

Tandin stepped away from the pilot's chair with a sigh. The exit from Dxun had been a rushed thing, but thankfully the authorities were too distracted with saving the princess to give chase. Now there was a moment of peace.

She could finally take off this festering amulet. She reached for the amulet and pulled it off, flinching only slightly from the pain of the burned skin where the amulet had rested. As soon as the amulet was gone, her form shifted. Her skin darkened, her body became more slender, her Onderonian uniform disappeared, replaced by a simple pair of shorts and shirt.

When she reached the galley, the Yoke of Seeming clattered to the floor. Recovering that artifact had taken extensive effort, XoXaan had maintained an intrinsic link to it through the Force. Finding it had taken her across the galaxy, but it had proved worth the effort. She sank into the chair and relaxed. That had been a failure, as she'd expected it would be. Onderon was too close to Coruscant; what had XoXaan expected to happen?

"You failed me apprentice!" And speak of the Sith, XoXaan shimmered into reality above the holocron stashed at the other end of the galley. The Sith stared at Ysanne furiously and drifted towards her.

"What did you expect, I had two Jedi and a few dozen soldiers firing at me. You performed no better against those two." It had been more than a matter of strength, questions would have been asked if all of them had died, but Princess Satajayu miraculously survived. They didn't need those questions.

"I want a body, apprentice. Continue to fail me and I might just take yours." Ysanne frowned and looked up at her Master carefully. If it had just been the princess and Viera it would have been easier. XoXaan could take the princess's body, and Ysanne would let Viera live just long enough to realize her doom before killing her. They needed any autopsy to reveal that her death had been recent. From there, all it would take is some careful maneuvering to put XoXaan on the throne of Onderon.

"We'll find you one, going for the Princess of Onderon was risky though, if the Jedi had discovered your identity they would have been alerted to us. We need to find a suitable host from somewhere quieter. Somewhere the Jedi won't find us." XoXaan growled but seemed to accept the answer, and Ysanne sighed in relief.

XoXaan had been a demanding teacher, but otherwise the Sith spirit was restrained, surprisingly so. The first few years had been an assortment of constant bruises and burns as she was taught the ways of the ancient Sith. Then, things began to change: her strength had grown, and incantations become easier. It was a needed breakthrough. All her anger, frustration, and hate had culminated in a perfect moment.

How easily the anger came, she clenched her prosthetic hand, gears and servos whirring. She had been there, and the situation had not let her properly express her rage against the Jedi.

XoXaan had stoked her anger and rage at Viera Sarat over and over during their training. She'd awaken to an illusion of Viera standing over her, lightsaber descending. She'd be attacked during training, and even when eating. It was unending. The times XoXaan had told her to kill certain people and had made them appear to be Viera were the best. The satisfaction of driving her dagger into the heart or beheading her foe was brief, but sweet.

"Much has changed in the galaxy since the days of my glory. But you are sure, the Jedi are so few in number?" Ysanne nodded slowly and stood to make some food.

"I don't have an exact number, but there are no Jedi armies anymore." She didn't know what to think about a Jedi army; there was enough trouble with the Jedi currently.

"How far they've fallen, when the Black Legion returns we will overwhelm them with power and numbers." Ysanne sighed and sat down at the galley kitchen. Stories of Ruusan had been told among the Black Knights over the centuries, the stories of the failure there.

'Vahl guide me' That hadn't worked then, but the Jedi were weaker now. Could it work, could this work? Ysanne didn't know, nor did she really care. XoXaan was driving her to this goal now, but the Sith spirit wouldn't be around forever if she had anything to say about it.

"There are some other options we could try, rumors and stories passed down by the Black Knights. It will take some time to research though." XoXaan glowered down at her for a long moment before dissipating.

"I guess that's a yes then." The Sith spirit had spent a lot of energy fighting in the Tomb and later bringing it down, but Ysanne still had no illusions about her chances if she tried to slay the spirit now.

No, she would wait. Eventually XoXaan would die at her hands, then Viera, and finally she could quell the festering rage beneath her skin. She ate and took some time to rest, before grabbing a datapad and opening up the holonet.

"The Shapers of Kro Var, and the Nightsisters. One of them will suit my needs." Now she only had to find them.


	39. Book one: Part Twenty-five

36BBY Coruscant.

The Temple seemed quieter as Master Tavik led me down the corridor. We weren't heading for the Council Chambers, and yet he said the Council had something for me to do. Whatever, I just got out of the Halls of Healing, and I'm more than ready for something new to do. Ehruss is following behind me. She's made a necklace from the teeths of the monstrosity that Tandin had summoned or created. She seems proud of it, and it does suit her I think.

Master Tavik won't say what we're doing, which is unusual, but not unexpected I suppose. After Onderon, I'm ready for something more normal. We found General Tandin's body dumped into an alley after some searching. He'd been dead for days and missing a significant amount of blood. That hadn't answered any questions as to who the fake Tandin was. Master Tavik and Master Bridger had confirmed that what we saw in the Tomb was Sith Magic.

The Council was troubled to hear the news of an adept practitioner of Sith Magic and were still discussing what it might mean when we left. I assume they'll do something about it, but just in case I'll try and look into it when I get a chance. Though, I'm not sure where I'd start.

Ilena and Master Bridger were redirected to a new assignment almost immediately, and I haven't seen them since. Jai and Pol have been training together a lot lately, and it's been good to catch up with them a bit. Maks is working on a thesis with Denia and Master Bnar. Zey hasn't really been around lately, but when he is, he usually comes to train with me in Form IV.

Jang returned from her test flight in an exceptionally cheery mood. Even after all these years she hasn't lost a bit of her exuberance, tempered it with discipline perhaps, but not lost it. Also hell yeah, the X-wing is here! I hadn't realized that was what she was testing. If I had, I would have gladly skipped Onderon to go with her. Judging by how she told the tale, it was the greatest starfighter ever, bar none.

I told her about my mission and was immediately made to recount the entire thing from start to finish. At the end, Jang had placed her hand on my shoulder and congratulated me on a good job. I'd been unable to not smile; Jang had that effect on me, a bright ray of sunshine.

"Right through here, Padawan. The Council is waiting for us." I know that; I can see them on the other side of the door. Where are we exactly? The chamber looks like a second Council chamber hidden within the heart of the Temple. Master Tavik smiles at me and keys the door open as we step inside.

Assembled before us, I see Yoda, Mace Windu, Yarael Proof, Micah Giett, Tyvokka, Oppo Rancisis, Saesee Tiin, and Master Bondara. Wait, why is Master Bondara there…..oh I think I get it now.

There's a certain lightheaded feeling in me as I step forward into the room. Am I about to take the Jedi Trials? Knighthood, really? I had thought that would be some time off, but I guess I can see why they'd decide me ready. Oh, I wonder what kind of trials they'll have me take. I know that it's different for each Jedi, but I've heard that facing the Grandmaster is one possible tral. Force I hope not, I don't want to imagine trying to duel Yoda. I know my limits, and he is far past them.

"Step forward, Padawan Sarat." Mace says, and I obey, walking forward and bowing before the Council members.

"Know why you are here, do you?" Yoda asks, and I resist the urge to shrug, that would be informal and disrespectful to him.

"I have my suspicions, but no I do not know for certain, Master Yoda." Yoda nods slowly and taps his cane on the ground. Mace takes the time to speak.

"Master Tavik believes you ready for Knighthood, and after deliberation, we the Council have agreed." My heart beats fast, and I feel the adrenaline surging through my veins. This is a moment I've been anticipating for years. Now that it's here, I don't know what to say or think.

"Thank you, for your confidence in me, Masters I will not let you down." Mace nods, and Yoda steps forward to address me

"Proved yourself capable you have already, in skill and wisdom. Abundant, is your courage, but your spirit, been tested it has not." Ah, the Trial of Spirit, I admit that I'm… not looking forward to it, but fortune favors the bold I suppose.

"You will enter a state of deep meditation in this chamber, Master Yoda and I will direct your thoughts during this trial. It will be up to you to face your inner darkness." How is this going to work though? Wouldn't I know that nothing I saw or felt was real?

"This will be your own challenge padawan, we will not see what you see, only direct your emotions." Okay, that's promising I guess. I sit down and adopt a meditative pose.

"I believe in you padawan, you've proven yourself strong enough to face this." I smile at Master Tavik's reassurance and begin to breathe rhythmically. I focus my sight inwards, let go of distractions, let go of the Temple, of this room, of my physical body. All is the Force. The Force is all that there is.

The Force swirls around, beams of sunlight bathing my skin in warmth and light. The presence is comforting and familiar. I breathe in deeply, feeling the Force through every cell of my body. Then I breathe out and—I duck behind the rocky crevice, desperate for any form of cover as blasterfire hits all around me.

Jang and Ilena join me immediately afterwards. All three of us are tired, bruised, and burnt from blaster bolts that landed too close. This isn't good; I don't know how we're going to get out of this one.

"Why are the clones firing on us." Jang asks through gasps for air, and I grimace. Nothing had worked. The ROSF had faltered under the Hutt onslaught for years. Long enough for the clone army to enter the war. The rest of the Order had taken the clone reinforcements gladly. Nothing I could say would persuade them otherwise.

I had given thought to leave the Order and go into hiding, but I couldn't just abandon my friends. We're the Pack; we stick together. Just thinking of them now, Ilena and Jang are all that's left. Everyone else fell in battle to one enemy or another. Their deaths still haunt me: Jai gutted by a dozen warbeasts, Pol crushed under a falling tank, Maks and Zey dead in the destruction of the Invincible. Master Tavik shot down in his fighter in the Battle of Ryloth. So many deaths... so much pain. I can see Ehruss's corpse still smoking in the dirt. She'd fought valiantly, but with no way to deflect the blasterbolts and no cover, she'd gone down quickly.

And now Order 66 is here at last, and we're stuck on fucking Eriadu. The Hutt encampment to the North is still under heavy fire, but the clone battalions have split off to deal with us and them. Ilena peaks back over the rock, only to duck down as more blasterfire splashes across the space she just occupied.

"They're advancing on us, there's at least a hundred of them with more coming. The Saber tanks haven't arrived yet but it's only a matter of time." I sigh and there's a rasping echo to my breathing. That can't be good. Jang looks across the way ahead of us; there's no cover for miles ahead of us. Plains as far as the eye can see.

"There's no escape that way, we'll be gunned down as we retreat." Jang says quietly, and I don't know whether to place a hand on her shoulder or not. Our friends are all dead, and I can feel the death spreading across the galaxy.

This is it, this is the end of the Jedi. But is it the end of us, I wonder. There are ships at the staging ground. If we can get to them then maybe we can escape.

"Our ships aren't too far away from here, if we grab a Saber tank we can get to a ship in no time flat." It's not the best plan, but what else is there to do but die.

"We'll have to fight our way through all these clones and capture a tank before that." I sigh and brace myself, the others mirroring me as I do. None of them want to die without even trying either. We'll get out of this. We have to.

"Follow me and stick together, we'll need to cover each other's gaps." They nod, and after a moment, I leap out of cover, lightsaber flashing as the clones' blasterfire sails towards us. They're damnably good shots. I deflect back towards them. Now isn't the time to worry about sparing them. They won't do the same for us, and even unarmed and injured I'm positive they'll continue to try and kill us.

I land and continue deflecting, advancing forwards as Jang and Ilena land on either side of me. They turn to face outwards, and together we advance back towards the encampment.

The clones move quickly to encircle us. Blasterfire comes in from every direction. The Force flows through the three of us, and together clone after clone falls against our might. We've got this; we can win this. We can still escape, still fight back.

"Tank!" Jang calls out, and a heavy blaster tears into the ground in front of us. The explosion knocks me backwards, and I hit the dirt hard, scrabbling to my feet and hastily continuing to fight.

That's a tank alright, and it looks eager to kill us. Repulsorlifts pulse rhythmically as the tank stares us down. I can feel the driver taking aim, hands on the trigger. I reach out reflexively and grab his control stick, yanking it right just as he fires. His shot goes wide and blasts into a dozen of his fellows. I sprint towards the tank just as he reorients himself and prepares to open fire. I leap into the air, and his turrets follow, firing staccato shots as I descend.

But the Force is with me, and I twist in the air, moving around the shots as I descend onto the tank. My lightsaber flashed behind me to deflect blasterfire from the clone troopers still present. Jang and Ilena are okay for now, but I need to move quickly. The trooper inside the tank is keying the controls, trying to shake me off, and I grip the tank armor tightly. The armor buckles slightly under my hands, and I growl in frustration; the trooper inside needs to die.

I reach out for him in the Force, grasping for his throat. I smile in satisfaction as he begins to choke, hands reaching for his throat, trying to clear a blockage that isn't there. Take that, asshole. The anger within me surges, and I revel in the feeling of finally letting loose.

"Viera!" I hear Jang calling my name and turn my attention back to the moment. Right, I should probably get this tank cleared for us to use. I climb up the tank, opening the hatch and using the Force, lift the dead pilot from the tank. I toss him into the ground and wave to the others.

Jang and Ilena rush for the tank, as blasterfire pelts the ground around them. Jang leaps into the air and adjusts her course perfectly to descend straight into the hatch. That's still impressive. Ilena lands on the metal armor beside me as Jang takes off.

The Saber Tank accelerates quickly across the landscape as we leave the clones behind us. I can't help but laugh, more out of disbelief than anything. How did we survive that? Ilena looks over at me and nods slightly. That's probably the best we'll get from her.

"Let's just hope that our Jedi Starfighters are still there waiting for us. If they're destroyed then this will be that much harder." I nod. Jang is right, but I don't want to think about that yet, focus on the now. Ilena peers into the distance behind us and frowns.

"We've got company coming, I see four Saber Tanks and an LAAT gunship. Seriously? Jang banks our tank right, into what appears to be a forest. I trust her piloting, but this is dangerous. Bursts of fire break through the treeline behind us as the tanks give pursuit. The rough terrain and trees give us cover from incoming fire. The LAAT goes high over the trees to maintain pursuit.

"We need to take down those saber tanks. Try lifting something into them." Right, umm what to lift? Uprooting a tree would take too long. There must be a log here somewhere. I scan the terrain and smile.

"Up ahead, there's a log!" We're approaching it rapidly, reach out and grab it in the Force. Ilena helps, and together we lift it up. As we pass the log, our minds work in unison to guide it into one of the pursuing tanks. The driver has no time to dodge as the log slams into him, armor buckles and forces the front of the tank downwards into the ground.

The Saber tank flips end over end, repulsorlifts sputtering as it crashes hard into the ground. One down, three to go. The rest swerve around their fallen comrade and continue the chase, trees and roots upturning or exploding into shards of wood with each missed shot.

Jang swerves hard, and we have to hold on tighter to not be flung off into the distance. A fall like this wouldn't necessarily be immediately fatal, but we'd die shortly afterwards. We might still die at the end of this; there's no guarantee.

No, we're surviving this. I'm not losing Ilena and Jang, not here, and not now. The anger burns in me, I hate that this has happened, I hate that the clones are forced to suffer Order 66. I hate Palpatine for his damnable power-hungry scheming, and Anakin for being so goddamned susceptible to his manipulations.

"Guys, hang on, I'm going to try something stupid." Oh, Force what's Jang doing. I've seen her crazy piloting, convoluted twists and turns that make no sense but somehow become exceptional piloting maneuvers. We both tighten our grip as Jang suddenly twists the tank around, cutting power to the engines to aid her turning.

Our tank whips around, now facing backwards, still moving forwards from the inertia. But now her guns are aligned on the pursuing tanks. Bursts of fire shoot from our tank and hit their marks with superb accuracy.

The tanks try to dodge out of the way, but the first bursts into flame, slamming into a tree and spinning out of control. The second tank is unlucky enough to be too close to its flaming comrade and gets caught in the explosion.

Jang swerves back around and keeps going. Okay I take it back, good job Jang. There's still one left, and we're approaching the treeline. It's not that far to the encampment. We might just make this.

An explosion rocks the ground beside us, even as a laser beam gouges great lines in the dirt around us. Oh, there's the LAAT gunship. The tree's have thinned enough to make us a suitable target. Jang banks the tank right to avoid enemy fire. I can sense Jang in the Force, desperation and worry restrained by a disciplined wall. Ilena isn't much better.

"That gunship needs to go! Ilena, I'm going to toss one of my sabers at it, help me guide it!" She nods, and I unhook the ancient lightsaber Bnar gave me. I hate to lose it, but desperate times. I still have the one I made on Ilum with Jang, decades ago.

"I'm on it, toss it when you're ready." I sigh, let the Force flow through me into the lightsaber. Envision the move in my mind, press the activator, the blade ignites with a snap-hiss, and I toss it. A push sends the lightsaber sailing into the path of the LAAT as Ilena guides it. The blade arcs through the air, into the gunship window and the clone piloting it. The clone jerks as the LAAT begins to spiral out of control. I'm still angry though. I reach out for the gunship and guide it's drop.

Then I pull on it hard, letting the gunship shoot down into the Saber Tank. Both ignite in a blaze of fire, and I feel my lightsaber being blown apart in the explosion. Goodbye my friend, you served me well. The encampment is ahead though. I can see it, and with the battle raging, it looks mostly empty.

Too empty, have they bunkered down to try and ambush us? I can't see anyone though, nor do I sense anything. Jang brings the tank to a halt, and I finally feel safe, like things are going our way. Jang pops out of the tank, and we all rush into the encampment. No one's here, but our X-wings are still there. They have hyperdrives; we can get out of here, find a place to rest and regroup.

"Where is everyone? Even with the battle going on there should be defenders here." Ilena's right, as I look around I see nothing. There's no danger sense, nothing to hint that anything might be wrong.

"All the more reason to hurry and go, we'll need to take advantage of whatever opportunity we can get." Jang's right; we have to go now. Our X-wings are ready to go, and we're out of here. As I head towards mine, I slow down, something's wrong. My danger sense is back, but where… something's wrong. I look around frantically, trying to find the source before a scream pierces the air.

I look towards the source, and scream. Ilena gasps in pain as the lightsaber emerges from her chest. The figure hidden in shadow behind her pulls the saber back and flings her into the wall. Almost immediately I feel the Force leave her. No! I ignite my lightsaber and leap towards the dead man. He's dressed in robes and a mask of some material I don't recognize.

"You're dead!" I shout as I descend, lightsaber arcing towards his head. He blocks and rolls forward to dodge my follow up attack. Jang is right behind me, lightsaber in a defensive position. The Sith before us is enveloped by the Dark Side, but he still hasn't said anything. Ilena's dead body haunts me; I can hear her final scream.

I rush in, anger driving my blows as my opponent matches me. Jang joins my attack, and together we successfully keep the Sith occupied. A canister lifts behind me and sails in my direction just as Jang presses her attack.

I raise a hand to stop it, struggling past my growing exhaustion. The canister slows, stops and falls away. I surge forward and strike downwards to carve my enemy in two. He steps to the side and kicks Jang away before attempting to bisect me. I bring my lightsaber down to block, and he shoulder slams into me. I stumble back, trying to maintain my footing as he continues to strike at me.

Jang tries to help but he pushes me with the Force before I can react and turns to face her. I'm sent sailing across the compound. I slam into the ground hard and scramble to my feet. I have to get back to the action.

Jang is fighting valiantly against the Sith, but I can feel the exhaustion in her muscles. We've been fighting nonstop for hours, first against the Hutts, then the clones, and now this guy. She feints left and spins to strike from the right. The Sith steps into the attack and knees her hard.

I'm already moving towards them as Jang falls to her knees, The Sith raises his blade, and I put on a burst of speed. There's pain in my legs; I'm so tired. Against my will my legs buckle as the Sith brings the blade down. Jang flares brightly in the Force and then vanishes.

The scream that tears from me is backed by the Force and my rage. It blasts away debris and slams into the X-wings. Escape doesn't matter anymore, killing him does. I attack furiously, lightsaber flashing and striking at him. The rage is breaking inside me, giving strength to my blows.

The Sith blocks them all, matching me strike for strike, and my frustration grows. I want him to die. Nothing matters anymore; my friends are dead, all of them. I couldn't stop it from happening. I failed to protect them. Even with all my training, all my strength, they're dead.

"You failed, Jedi. Everything you've built has fallen, and now you are the last." We lock blades, and I push against him. His voice is distorted and unrecognizable.

"Shut up!" I disengage and spin around, switching to Djem So and positioning myself to the right. He follows before my plan can engage and slams into me. Our blades clash and the duel continues.

It's like he knows my every move. This is rapidly becoming my grave, but if I can kill him then it'll be worth it.

"You can't protect them, nothing you do will matter. Give up." I reach out in the Force, trying to send him flying, and he resists.

"Never! I'll see you dead." Crates and canisters lift from around the encampment and fly at me. I duck and weave, trying to move past them, but they're too many. One slams into me and then another. The pain is intense, and I can hardly concentrate.

A canister takes my footing from me, and I slam onto the ground hard, laying on my back. A crate lands on my lower half and pins me. I try to move it off, only for him to lift my head up with the Force and slams it back into the ground.

Pain explodes through my skull as I'm left dazed. My sight is blurry and unfocused as the Sith steps over me, kneeling before me with his lightsaber pointed at my head. I can't, I'm too tired, I have no strength left.

This is going to be my grave, my friends and comrades dead, the Empire triumphant. Everything I did failed, nothing worked. The pain, the loss, the anger all swell within me. I can't cry without eyes, but my chest heaves with choked sobs. Ilena, speared through the chest. Jang, beheaded before me, and all by this man.

"You failed, you can't protect them." He speaks, and my rage spikes at his words. I did my best; I fought and bled to keep them safe. Their deaths are his fault.

"You can't stop everything. You can't protect them from everything." He's right, and I hate him for it. I couldn't jump in to handle every problem for them. I wasn't able to always be there when they needed me. I couldn't protect them.

Their faces flash through my mind. I miss them; I don't know what I'd do without them. They were my best friends, my only true companions in this galaxy. I breathe in rapidly, trying to calm myself. They'd want me to be calm in death, wouldn't they? It doesn't matter now, but I am a Jedi. A Jedi's life is sacrifice, and I sacrificed mine for a cause.

They did too, and their deaths burn inside me. But their deaths weren't futile. They didn't die for nothing. My breathing slows as I look up at this damned Sith. He thinks he's won, but he's not. Luke and Leia will end this I. t will take time, but they will.

"You're right, I couldn't protect them, and I shouldn't have tried to face their challenges for them. I needed to trust them more, but a Jedi's life is sacrifice. You can kill us, but you'll never defeat us!" I lay my head down and wait. Do it! I've lived a long life, and I'm proud of it, despite my troubles.

The Sith above me says nothing, the lightsaber inches from my face. Then the saber extinguishes, and the Sith crouches down beside me. What? What is he doing?

"You're right, there is no futility even in death. Your friends have their own lives, you won't always be there, and you shouldn't try to be. Stifling their challenges, their growth will only weaken them and ensure their doom. Celebrate, when their time comes and they become one with the Force. Celebrate the life they lived, and honor their memories." The hell is he talking about, they're dead! I know he's right, but it doesn't matter when they're dead.

And if he thinks telling me this will make me want to work with him, he can go to hell! The Sith reaches for his helmet and yanks it off. It's….impossible. I stare back into my own face, down to the last detail.

"Congratulations, Viera Sarat. You have succeeded." And then I'm gasping for air. The chamber around me is dark, and I see the Council staring at me. Master Tavik, Master Bondara! What? I don't understand.

Memory and awareness come rushing back to me, and I sigh in relief and shock. It was all a vision? But it was so lucid, I lost myself in it so quickly. I believed everything that happened was real, and….I overcame it. I look up as Master Windu steps up to me.

"Congratulations Viera Sarat, you have passed the Jedi Trials."


	40. Book one: Chapter Twenty-six

36BBY Jedi Temple

I'm almost bouncing in place from excitement. We just left the Council Chambers, and I am to immediately report to the Tranquility Spire for the next twenty-four hours. I'm less concerned with that than with the fact that I passed my trials! I'm going to be a Knight!

"Congratulations, Viera. You've earned this, I'm proud to have taught you the ways of the Jedi." Master Tavik is escorting me and Ehruss as well. I smile back at him; he was a good Jedi Master.

"Thank you, I'm proud to have been your student. What will you do now?" Tavik shrugs as we head for the elevator.

"I don't know yet, I'm considering taking up a teaching post here in the Temple. I'll help Master Bondara instruct the younglings." Huh, that's a bit surprising. But on the other hand, he can teach the Matukai techniques we learned to the younglings.

"It is great achievement, your rite of passage among your clan." Thank you Ehruss. Now what am I going to do? I get to basically do my missions my own way. Maybe this time I'll start trying to negotiate solutions instead of just killing.

"Now remember, in the Tranquility Spire, you might have some company, but don't socialize. This is a time of meditation and reflection for you." I nod Unless I know the people in there, I can't imagine any temptation to strike up a conversation.

"I will, Master Tavik. Is there anything else I need to know for while I'm in there?" This'll be nice. I'll just have a really long meditation session, be knighted, and then… I don't know, go do some work.

"The Tranquility Sphere is situated at the center of the Force Nexus the Temple is located on. You might have some brief visions while you meditate, especially as the day goes on." Visions? Oh, man, that sucks. This is either going to be super awesome or super terrible. I am not prepared for this. Oh well, I have to do it.

We arrive at the door of the Tranquility Sphere, and beyond it I see a room partitioned into small rooms for people to meditate inside. The doors open, and Master Tavik puts a hand on my shoulder.

"Once again, congratulations Viera. You've done so well." Then he and Ehruss step back, and I enter the room alone. There are a few other Jedi here, some humans, a rodian, and a bith. I ignore them and choose an empty room and sit down. There's only a small cushion to sit on, no water and no food. Well, the sooner I meditate, the sooner I won't be concerned about food.

Alright, you just did a deep meditation session in the Trial chamber half an hour ago; this should be easy. I just have to do what I did before, breathe in and breathe out. Breathe in, and breathe out, just keep breathing.

I have to center myself, and the Force warms my skin. I have spent twenty-one years in this universe. I've almost spent more time here than in my previous life. I'm happy to have finally gotten this far, reached the point where I'm officially a Jedi Knight.

But now that I've reached this point, now what? I begin to sink into meditation; everything is the Force, sunlight all around me. I feel light, weightless, like I could float away at any second. As Jedi Knight I'll be operating solo or with other teams of Knights.

I'll solve the missions I take on my own terms. More specifically, the type of missions I take will be dictated by the role I take. And that role is one of my own choosing. I could be a Jedi Guardian if I wanted, operating on more combat missions across the galaxy. Alternatively, I could follow the path of a Consular, try for more diplomatic missions with more diplomatic solutions. I think the path of the Sentinel appeals to me more though. Guardians and Consulars tend to travel from spot to spot as needed, but Sentinels hang around in one location for longer.

They're also a bit more independent from other Jedi, operating on their own initiative as well as taking missions from the Council. I could use that for plenty of things, so many important side-trips I could take in between long missions.

That seems to be the preferable option in my opinion. I won't lie, I'm antsy to explore the galaxy a bit more. All that time as Master Tavik's padawan and all those missions took me so many place. But there's still so many places I haven't seen. I haven't been to Corellia yet, or Alpheridies; I want to see Alderaan and Dantooine as well.

We need to go track down Ehruss's traitorous kin, help her out with that. Anakin, if he exists, needs to be handled in a way that keeps him from Palpatine's clutches. I want to meet Master Altis, and Master Aqinos, as well as see if any Matukai went to Alpheridies to train the Miraluka people.

Plus there are things to learn out in the galaxy, places to go, people to help. I could spend decades out there and not do everything I wanted to. Plus, it'd be good to see what Ranulph and the ROSF have done in the Outer Rim firsthand.

There's also the issue of eventually taking a padawan. What kind of padawan do I want? Do I want a padawan? I imagine the Force will give me the answer to that at some point, but it's something to consider. How would I train them? Would we get along?

All exciting things to think about. But what does the Force want from me? That is the question I am supposed to find out here. I'll figure this out as I go.

I don't know how much time is passing actually. My thoughts are coming sporadically now. The Force is all around me, permeating the room as I meditate. Time passes oddly in here, and as my focus narrows inward, the warmth grows within me.

It's not uncomfortable though. It's comforting, like I'm wrapped in fluffy blankets just out of the dryer. Something I haven't really experienced in a long time, the temperature in my room is regulated anyways. I don't need warm fluffy blankets; I'm sad now. Alright, first chance I get, I'm going to a diner and getting something greasy and unhealthy. It's going to be so delicious.

I'm not aware of the outside world anymore, all is focused inwards. It's like everything around me is black. All that I'm left with are the Force and my own thoughts. I breathe in once more, and when I breathe out, there is a current.

It passes through me, whispering and carrying me away. I feel uprooted, like a drifting cloud. It's calm, peaceful, and I am finally at peace and centered.

"Master Sarat, Master Sarat!" Someone's calling my name, and my focus spreads outwards. I'm in a forest now, where, what? Ah damnit, this is what I was afraid of. Alright who's talking to me?

I can see her in front of me. She's human, but beyond that, her features seem to distort and haze when I try to focus on it. She runs off into the forest ahead of me, and I stroll after her. There doesn't seem to be a rush; so I'm not running.

I don't know where this forest is, there's literally thousands of possible planets, I expect this will be important later.

"This way, Master!" Coming, padawan, be patient! I don't see anything noticeable about this place at all. It could be Endor, Dantooine, Naboo, Tython, Corellia, Dathomir, Yavin, and I could go on and on.

Alright, so what the hell am I going to find here? A missing Jedi Master, some Sith plot, my death? Could be anything really. Should I apply to be a Jedi Seer maybe? With how often I have visions, I could spend my days meditating here and passing things on to the Council.

Granted, my visions tend to have a theme relating to future events I'll end up in. Things I need to do.

"Right over here Master, come look what I've found!" I see her standing over a little burrow. Something is buried inside it, and it's glowing. I have no idea what it could be. I reach for the glowing, shapeless object and take hold of it.

Immediately the scene changes around me, and I'm somewhere else. Oh, hello new place that I don't recognize. Another forest? Though this one is certainly more exotic than the last one. The trees are gigantic with odd growths festering all over the place, bulbous flowers that sprout off of wooden branches.

Footsteps coming from behind me, I turn to face the newcomer. A fog descends around me and out of it leaps a figure, hooded and cloaked, garbed in tribal raiment. There's a pair of daggers in her hand. She descends upon me, and I step back. She lands and swings her knives at me, only to burst into a cloud of… something.

Alright, so now what? There are more figures moving in the fog. They burst away into mist, male and female alike. I really don't know where this is, but I feel like I should. Whatever, I'm sure it'll become relevant later. I'm not going to worry about it too much now. There's a Wan-Shen at my feet, and I reach down to grab it. The weight is comfortable in my hands, but as soon as I grab it the scene shifts.

For the Force's sake!lright, I'm on a ship now; I recognize the metal walls and corridors of a ship. I don't know what kind of ship, but a ship nonetheless. Alright, start walking, figure out what the hell I'm supposed to see and move on. There's no one here that I can see, no droids, or organics or anything. Just a long corridor.

I feel like whistling a tune would be in bad taste, but what else am I supposed to do but walk? Ahead of me a door opens, and I shrug, that I guess. It would be funny if the vision itself was trying to speed me along, like it's expecting me to run and gets disappointed when I don't.

What can I say? I'm completely relaxed. The door leads to a bridge of some sort. I don't recognize the ship design, but I suspect that is less important compared to the figures standing at the end of the bridge. Hello group of robe clad figures. I don't know who you are, but you're significant to future events in my life in some way.

"Hello there." I wave my hands, and they say nothing; they don't react in any way. That's disappointing. I was hoping for some grandstanding monologue. But no, it's not going to be that easy.

"Jedi." The figure in the center says and ignites a lightsaber. The rest ignite their own lightsabers, and I sigh, me and my big mouth. They raise their lightsabers and march towards me, arms held high.

I let them circle around me, and they lower their lightsabers to point at me. It's a bit of ceremony I don't really understand or care about. The lead figure steps forward and brings his lightsaber down on me. As soon as it approaches my skin they all disappear. Okay, I expected that.

And then I'm back in the Tranquility spire. Okay, time has passed, what? When is it? I check my chrono, and no, I've got a few hours left. Alright then, I don't want to meditate too deeply again; visions are bad and annoying.

Instead I decide to practice my shield sense. The power generators of the Temple are located deep below the Temple itself, and I focus on them. I listen to the hum of the generators, the tiny fluctuations as power disperses across the Temple, and when Master Tavik comes for me, I'm awake and ready. My legs are a bit sore, and I'm rather hungry and thirsty, but this is far more important.

Though if food and drink aren't immediately after my knighting, I'm going to find Dex's Diner, if it currently exists.

There are no words between us. He nods at me, and I follow him out the door. Ehruss is waiting for us, and together we walk back to the Council Chambers. There are no words between us. The atmosphere is very solemn the whole way, though I admit the elevator ride was very awkward, the three of us crowded in there and in total silence. I just don't feel like talking though. I wouldn't know what to say right now. My heart is beating quickly, and I feel light-headed and anxious. This is the culmination of twenty-one years of my life. This single moment represents a change far more significant than being chosen as a padawan.

The Council Chamber is dark when we enter, though I can see everyone involved. All the Masters from before are here, as well as Master Bnar of all people. As soon as I step inside, Master Tavik stops, and I walk into the center of the room. A lightsaber ignites, Master Tyvokka, then another. One by one every Jedi in the room ignites their lightsabers, surrounding me in their glow. Then Yoda ignites his lightsaber last.

"Viera Sarat, step forward." I step towards him and look down at the Grandmaster, standing on his chair.

"Kneel, Padawan Sarat." I kneel before Yoda, and he raises his lightsaber up. Everyone else mirrors his movements, and for a long moment there is silence. Then Yoda lowers his lightsaber to just above my shoulder and rests it there.

"By the right of the Council, by the will of the Force, I dub thee Knight of the Republic" Then he rests his saber above my other shoulder and lifts it back. I wait for a few moments, and when I stand there's a smile on my face. This is perhaps the best moment of my life. I can imagine no better life than this.

"Congratulations, Jedi Knight Viera Sarat. This Council welcomes you to Knighthood. May you live a long and prosperous life in service to the Republic, and to the Force." Mace steps forward and offers a short bow. The rest of the Council mirrors him, and I bow in return.

"You are officially a Knight of the Republic. You have taken your first step into a larger galaxy." Mace Windu steps back, and Master Tavik steps forward to place a hand on my shoulder.

"Come along Viera, I'm sure you're famished, we'll head down to the refectory for food and drink." My stomach chooses that moment to growl, and he laughs out loud. I think I can even see Yoda smiling. I nod and turn towards him.

"Yes, that sounds like a good way for this ceremony to end, food and drink with friends." He smiles, and we join with Ehruss at the door to head down to the refectory.

This is a day I'll remember forever.


	41. ROSF Information Sheet

The ROSF as currently stands has grown from a small project funded and run exclusively by Ranulph Tarkin, to an organization that spans across the galaxy. From it's headquarters on Eriadu, the ROSF has brought peace and security to much of the Outer Rim and has planted the seeds for a new Republic Military.

The ROSF presence is most felt in the Outer Rim but has noticeable support in the Core as well. Eriadu is the center of the ROSF operations and its power. From Eriadu itself patrols go out along the Rimma Trade route as far as Pergitor near Kathol Space, and Vandelheim in the Expansion Region.

Further patrols from Eriadu, though not as frequent watch along the Corellian Trade Spine and Sanctuary Pipeline, covering worlds as far as Anoat, Xal 3, Svivren and Alzoc III.

From Ryloth the 6th fleet under Admiral Fonn patrols along the Correllian Run from Ryloth to Tynna and smaller patrol groups spread out along the Death Wind Corridor to Ukio and up through Bothan Space as well as Naboo.

However, while Eriadu is the center of the ROSF power, it is Taris which sees the bulk of the ROSF deployment. From it's position on the Hydian Way, the ROSF patrols from Bogden to the Corporate Sector as well as semi-regular patrols and waystations along the Braxant Run, Gordian Reach and Daragon Tail. The Taris sector fleets hit such worlds as Dantooine, Agamar, Dubrillion, Bastion, Yaga Minor and Vinsoth.

Admiral Baraka's 5th fleet is primarily based along the Perlemian Trade Route, working with the planetary governments in the Tion cluster to protect their mutual interests.

This achievement has not come without its consequences and roadblocks, but Ranulph has proven himself so far adept at overcoming obstacles with the right tools. But before we get into the ROSF fleet and army proper, it is important that we discuss the people involved in its operation.

DRAMATIS PERSONAE:

Ranulph Tarkin: While his experiences at Troiken have led him to delegate military matters to his direct subordinates, Ranulph has thrown himself into the political and public aspects of the ROSF. He spends more time in the Outer Rim than on Coruscant and has delegated much of his role there to Shayla-Page Tarkin. His recent success has caused him to devote more and more time to the ROSF and convincing nearby planets and sectors to ally themselves with his effort to create a secure Republic.

Admiral Jace Dallin, human male from Rendili: Jace's promotion to Admiral came at Ranulph's insistence, though not before he took courses from the Anaxes War College. Nominally he is the second in command of the ROSF though most decisions are decided by the Admiralty Board. Jace has proven himself an able enough commander, and he is currently in charge of the ROSF 1st fleet from the flagship Invincible.

Admiral Jerjerrod, human male from Tinnel IV: A scion of the Jerjerrod family, Tion Jerjerrod resigned his commission with the Republic Judicial Forces to leave for the Outer Rim and assist Ranulph's efforts. He is a long spoken critic of the lawlessness of the Outer Rim. A fiery man, Jerjerrod has earned the respect and admiration of many of his subordinates. He commands the ROSF 2nd fleet from his flagship Resolute.

Admiral Ethan Bhranx, human male from Corellia: The most controversial of the ROSF Admiralty for his lack of official training with the Anaxes War College and his brash boldness in encroaching close to Hutt Space with his fleet. Ethan Bhranx is an old associate of Garm Bel Iblis, appointed on his recommendation. Admiral Bhranx is a veteran of both the Corellia Planetary Security and CorSec. By far he is the oldest of the ROSF Admirals, and the most laid-back. Despite this, he has a sharp mind and a talent for starfighter tactics. Commands the 3rd fleet from his flagship Dregan.

Admiral Jonoin, human female from Anaxes: Admiral Jonoin graduated from the Anaxes War College in 40BBY at the top of her class and forewent a posting with the Republic Judicial Forces to join the ROSF. She rose to the position of Admiral and head of the ROSF intelligence network. Commands the ROSF 4th fleet from the flagship Caretaker.

Admiral Arikakon Baraka, Mon Calamari male from Dac: Admiral Baraka was born to a long tradition of soldiers and served for many years as an officer in the Dac Planetary Security Force. An astute and dedicated officer, Baraka was nominated to serve with the ROSF when Dac joined Ranulph's alliance. Commands the ROSF 5th fleet from the flagship Mon Vala.

Admiral Terhane Fonn, Twilek female from Ryloth: Terhane joined up with the ROSF almost immediately after the victories at Landor and proved herself capable enough that she was given command of the Hammerhead-cruiser Tabrix, serving in the Battle over Ryloth and in numerous anti-pirate engagements afterwards. When Anaxes threw their support behind Ranulph, she was one of many selected training at the War College and a promotion to go with it. Commands ROSF 6th fleet from her flagship Lohema.

Admiral Targon, Zabrak male from Iridonia: Despite his rank, Admiral Targon doesn't actually command a fleet, rather he is in charge of the ROSF navy spec ops branch, including command of Havoc Squad and commando infantry trained out of Carida and the University of Agamar. Admiral Targon is a cold and calculative man, but loyal and dedicated.

Fleet Composition:

The Hammerhead Cruiser has been the backbone of the ROSF since just after Troiken, with only 300 minimum crew and complement for a dozen starfighters it is an exceptional vessel for anti-pirate work.

That said, the ship has a number of design flaws that make it unsuitable for extensive military use. These drawbacks are offset by the additional designs in use by the ROSF.

The DP20 frigate and CR90 corvette of the Corellian Engineering Corporation have stepped into this role. Cheap, low crew requirements, and adequate firepower have made these ships invaluable to the ROSF, both for anti-starfighter work and for supporting the Hammerhead cruisers.

However, the most expensive, and the most significant, part of the ROSF is the Valor-class Cruiser. Even with the restrictions on armaments for warships, the Valor is the most powerful ship in the ROSF fleet. It is also the primary carrier for the ROSF, bearing one-hundred and fifty starfighters and five thousand ground troops.

For the Starfighter roles of the ROSF, the Aurek Tactical Strikefighter and the H-60 Tempest Bomber models were adequate initially. However, high costs for both these starfighters has caused the ROSF to look for cheaper and better models.

Enter the Incom T-65 X-wing and Koensayer BTL-A4 Y-wing starfighters. With the new market in military hardware, established by the ROSF, Incom updated their Z-95 Headhunter design to a more combat oriented model. Costing almost 50% less than the Aurek and proving just as effective, the T-65 has been gradually replacing the Aureks as the fighter of choice for the ROSF.

That said, the Militarists have not been satisfied with simply reusing old designs, and the shipwrights of the galaxy have indulged them. New ship models have been either developed or are in development by Rendili StarDrive and Mon Cal Shipyards.

The first of these new designs is the Rendili-class Attack Frigate. A relatively new design, the Rendili-class Attack Frigate is designed to be a frontline vessel with the maximum armor specification allowed by the Ruusan Reformations. These ships support the Hammerhead cruisers and add some much needed firepower to their arsenal.

Manufacturer

Rendili Stardrive

Class: Frigate

Technical specifications

Length 400 meters

Width 250 meters

Maximum acceleration

4,000G

Maximum atmospheric speed

1600 km/h

]Hyperdrive rating:

1.5

Shielding

Equipped

Hull:

Reinforced Durasteel

Navigation system

Advanced navicomputer[

Armament

14 turbolaser cannons

10 point-defense laser cannons

4 proton torpedolaunch tubes

Crew:

500

48 gunners

Passengers

200

Supply capacity

1 year.

Republic-class Medium Cruiser: The Republic-class was designed with the intent of serving as a heavier combat vessel. While the Rendili-class attack frigate is powerful, it lacks the power to fight back against heavier enemy ships. This medium cruiser fills that role.

Manufacturer

Rendili Stardrive

Class: Cruiser

Technical specifications

Length 500 meters

Width 250 meters

Maximum acceleration

3,200G

Maximum atmospheric speed

1,100 km/h

]Hyperdrive rating:

1.0

Shielding

Equipped[1]

Hull:

Durasteel

Navigation system

Equipped

Armament

8 quad turbolaser cannons

15 point-defense laser cannons

8 ion cannons

Complement:

24 X-wing Starfighters

12 Y-wing Starfighters

Crew:

950

150 gunners

Passengers

2,000 soldiers

Supply capacity

2 years.

Tanis-class escort carrier: Designed for patrol work, the Tanis-class carries a significant number of starfighters, allowing it to punch well enough above its weight class in terms of anti-piracy combat.

Manufacturer

Rendili Stardrive

Class: Carrier

Technical specifications

Length 500 meters

Width 250 meters

Maximum acceleration

4,500G

Maximum atmospheric speed

1,900 km/h

]Hyperdrive rating:

2.0

Shielding

Equipped[1]

Hull:

Durasteel

Navigation system

Equipped

Armament

5 point-defense laser cannons

Complement:

48 X-wing Starfighters

36 Y-wing Starfighters

Crew:

450

Supply capacity

2 years.

Ground Compositions:

The ROSF ground forces have likewise massively expanded in conjunction with their naval brethren. Organized into four Corps operating out of Eriadu, Ryloth, Carida, and Taris, these corps divide their subgroups into militias and operations groups that protect and garrison outlying planets.

Armament:

The standard weapon for the ROSF infantrymen is the A280 Blaster rifle designed by BlasTech industries. Capable mid to long range effectiveness has made the A280 the weapon of choice for the average infantryman.

All ground personnel are equipped with the HSB-200 blaster pistol as a secondary weapon. Infantry heavy weapons specialists are given the RT-97C Heavy Blaster Rifle or an E-60R Missile launcher. The A295 Sniper rifle is deployed for snipers and other long range specialists, and all infantry are equipped with a combination of frag or flashbang grenades.

Further cooperation with BlasTech industries has led to the development of the BlasTech New Model RA-01 combat armor. Inspired by the designs of infantry armor present in the Great Galactic War, the RA-01 combat armor is fully insulated and filters out harmful toxins.

An Advanced variant, the RA-02 Heavy Commando Armor, has just recently been designed and deployed to special forces units such as Havoc Squad and more.

Vehicle deployment:

No self-styled military is complete without a comprehensive assortment of armored vehicles to support their infantry. The Rendili Vehicle Corporation has fulfilled this need with four models.

The RV-00 Light Speeder serves as a fast attack ground craft for the ROSF. A modular design, the RV-00 can be armed with either a heavy repeating blaster or a proton-launcher that when combined with its high speed, allows it to harass enemy emplacements and get out quickly. Outside of combat the RV-00 can be used as a personnel carrier.

The RV-10 Assault tank fulfills the role of heavy armor for the ROSF. Two heavy laser cannons, dual heavy concussion missile and proton torpedo launcher, as well as an advanced targeting coordination system makes the RV-10 a formidable foe. The RV-10 often works in conjunction with the RV-05 Artillery launcher by using its coordination system to transmit targeting data to the artillery.

The RV-05 Artillery Launcher is a marvel of Rendili engineering, four guns per launcher, twenty five kilometer range, and enough power to punch through almost any emplacement. Unfortunately this range comes with a considerable accuracy problem, but with how easy to make these launchers are, quantity is a quality of its own.

The last of the new Rendili designs is the RV-04 Mobile AA turret. This mobile anti-air design comes with four rapid fire laser turrets and fast tracking software to aid in destroying enemy starfighters and gunships.


	42. Knight Errant: Chapter One

Fate Denied: The Knight Errant.

36BBY Bespin, two months post-knighthood.

The Cloud Dance restaurant—aptly located in the upper levels of Cloud City—is mostly empty this time of day, and for that, I'm grateful. I'm not too worried about being seen but it would save me some problems later.

I'm sitting at a table on a veranda outside. I can see the distant clouds and gasses that make Bespin so famous. It's not toxic thankfully, but I don't really understand the significance of the view. My waiter insisted this was the best seat in the restaurant, but I'm convinced he just said that to get a better tip.

None of them know I'm a Jedi. I went shopping the first chance I could and got some… what I call undercover clothing. That's my story if the Temple Quartermaster ever asks why. I've replaced my robes with a nice pair of pants, a sturdy tunic, and a pocketed vest over it. The vest also serves as a convenient place to hide my lightsabers.

As far as they know, I'm just some Miraluka tourist with a Trandoshan friend. I had thought that she might get some reactions, but apparently, they've seen stranger pairs here. Props to them then. Speaking of Ehruss, she's apparently staring at the clouds; for what, I don't know.

"What's up Ehruss, you've been staring at the clouds since we got here?" She turns to me and points. I follow her direction and see a flight of Rawwk's in the clouds above us.

"Good prey," she says, and I watch them screech before diving back into the clouds around them.

"Have you hunted them before?" I would imagine that hunting them would be easy, but how do you recover them once you've shot them?

"Yes, I tied myself to a skiff for safety and hunted them through the clouds with a harpoon gun. Many points to earn, and good meat." Huh, something to try one day maybe. Or not, I'm not a big hunting fan. I reach down for my drink and take a sip.

The best part of being on my own is that I can buy a drink, and no one will bother me about it. I take a slow sip of the Corellian Rum in my hand and sigh in contentment. This is nice; I love it. Even better as with the Matukai techniques I can sober up almost instantly if I need to. The best part of the drinking without the hangover.

They even had Trandoshan Ale for Ehruss, how awesome is that? This is pricey though. Good thing I still have a number of those Aurodium coins, and a lot smaller coins and such now. I glance around the restaurant and shrug. He's not here yet.

I sent a message to Master Djinn Altis requesting to meet him here if he was available. He messaged me back saying he would. We arranged the meeting place here, but it's just me right now I guess.

"This man we're meeting, he's a rogue Jedi Master?" Ehruss still doesn't really understand the idea that there are different sects of Jedi following slightly different tenets. The idea of Jedi being a singular organization with the same beliefs and doctrines is firmly rooted it seems.

"Sort of, he's rogue in the sense that he doesn't follow the Council's orders. But he's still a Jedi, he does things Jedi do." The man's history is rather surprising I have to say, born and taken to the Temple in 153BBY, the man is over a hundred years old! I don't know how he's still alive and functioning to the point that he can be a Jedi Master, but officially he's been a 'rogue' almost a hundred years.

"As you say." Ehruss drinks a bit more of her ale and goes back to watching the Rawwk's flying by. I've discovered that to be Ehruss's typical response when she doesn't really get what you're saying but doesn't care enough to argue it further. Ah, there he is. I can see him walking into the restaurant now. The waiter at the door greets him, and I hear them exchanging pleasantries before he is directed my way.

I take another sip of my rum and sigh, standing up so I can greet him. He's not dressed in Jedi robes, just a simple tunic and trousers. I offer him a smile as he approaches and extend my hand to shake his. We shake firmly and both sit down as the waiter walks by to take any orders he might have.

When the man is gone, he looks at me for a moment before leaning back in his chair.

"So, what can I do for you, Jedi Sarat? Are you looking to join the Altisians? I'm more than willing to allow it if you are, but you didn't have to bring me here to convince me." Ah, I suppose it natural for him to assume I'm here to leave the Order.

"No, I'm not, but it's kind of you to be so willing to accept me if I were. I'm actually here on other business." I take another sip of my rum as the waiter brings his drink. He's gone for a simple Corellian Ale and sips it slowly.

"Ah, have they sent you to try and convince me to renounce my heresies? I swear they try every decade or so. I'm not going to renounce my beliefs. I've discussed this with them more times than I care to count." That's not surprising, and I shake my head, chuckling softly.

"No they haven't, I arranged this meeting of my own accord. I actually agree with your beliefs, I support your ideas." He frowns slightly, not really having expected that answer. It's fair I guess. I say I'm not here to join him, but then say I completely agree with his rebellion against certain parts of Jedi Orthodoxy.

"Alright, then why are you here? You're not coming to join me, but you're not here to try and convince me to rejoin the Order. You've got my attention." Alright, how to phrase this? I've had days to think about this proposal, and suddenly I'm anxious.

"Tell me something, Master Altis. How many Altisian Jedi are there?" He thinks about it for a moment before replying.

"About two hundred, counting padawans, why? I know it's only a tiny fraction compared to how many of the main Order there are. You don't need to rub it in." He sounds a bit sensitive about it. I wonder if he's had that rubbed in his face at some point?

"How would you feel if that were to change? What would you do if you had ten times as many members as you did now?" He considers this, and for a long moment there is silence between us.

"Two thousand of us? I suppose I'd be able to help more people across the galaxy. I'd thought about working to restore the Dantooine Enclave and having some Jedi operate out of there in the Rim. It's not really going to happen though, unless you're telling me that two thousand Jedi want to defect to me." I shake my head, that's unlikely to happen, I think.

"Tell me, have you heard of the Matukai Order?" He frowns and shakes his head. It's a damn shame no one's gone to them earlier.

"Not really, I recognize the name but nothing about them." I lean forward in my chair before speaking.

"Well, they're a semi-nomadic Force using group from Karvoss II. They know a number of useful combat abilities, but their greatest strength is knowing how to increase one's connection to the Force through somatic rituals." A raised eyebrow as he takes a sip of his ale.

"That's...amazing really, has it been proven though?" I raise a hand and point to me, nodding.

"My former Master and I spent a year with them, I can assure you it does, though to be fair it doesn't have as noticeable an effect on someone already strong in the Force. But you know my species right?" He nods slowly.

"You're a Miraluka, you see through the Force." He trails off suddenly, looking at me with something close to astonishment. He's smart enough to put the pieces together.

"Indeed, Master Altis. There are well over a hundred million Miraluka on Alpheridies, and before I left Karvoss II I made sure to mention this to the Matukai who taught me. Now I've heard that a few Matukai have gone to Alpheridies." As a Knight I've gained clearance to access certain internal documents that I wouldn't be able to access as a padawan. It turns out that about a year after Master Tavik and I trained with them, some Matukai went to Alpheridies. There was a dispatch from the Alpheridies Temple talking about it.

So far the Order hasn't thought to act on it yet. They're still 'monitoring' the situation, but for how long until they get involved?

"So, you're suggesting I go to Alpheridies and start training Miraluka to be Altisian Jedi?" Genius, your skills at deduction are to be marveled.

"Yes, well that and if possible work with other Force using groups like the Matukai, Disciples of Twilight, Zeison Sha, Luka Sene, Jal Shey and more." Ideally, I'd like it if one day generations from now there were millions of Jedi all over the galaxy. Not just peacekeepers but educators, farmers, scientists, and more.

"That's… an impressive goal you've got, and you expect the Order to sit back and just let us do this? I mean, what happens when thousands of Miraluka children are born strong in the Force and the Jedi try to take them into the Order?" I shrug. I'm not too worried about that.

"That practice needs to change, and this can perhaps be the start. Refuse to give them up, let it come to a showdown. The Order won't get violent about it, but in the face of public disapproval they'll have to back down." He shakes his head slowly.

"Even taking multiple padawans, I don't have enough trained Jedi if we even get a third as many new members as I think we might. What's your big solution for that?" That's a fair point, but again, I've thought about that.

"Master Aqinos and his Iron Knights can help if you can convince him. The last I've heard he went to Dweem. The Corellian Jedi might be able to be convinced to offer some assistance, and even the academy on Alpheridies might help if you frame it right. And as you train more Jedi, you'll be able to take more students." He looks at me and laughs before shaking his head slowly. He wants to believe it's not that simple, but the desire is there.

"I… are you sure you're an orthodox Jedi? What you're advocating goes against so much Jedi orthodoxy that you'd probably be kicked out for suggesting it." That's fair, and probably true. I shrug and drink some more rum.

"The Temple is all I've known, I have friends there. I don't agree with everything the Order teaches but I'm not going to just abandon my comrades unless I have to." I'll keep on being a Jedi till either I die, the Order disbands, or they kick me out.

"That's fair, if you ever need a home though. I'll be happy to accept you into the Altisian Jedi." Sweet of him, and an offer I'll probably end up having to take at some point. I'll deal with that when it happens though.

"Thank you, Master Altis. Does this mean that you'll consider going to Alpheridies and teaching willing Miraluka?" He shrugs, and I frown; is that a yes or a no?

"I'll talk to my fellow Jedi about it, I'm nominally their leader but this kind of decision should be made by all of them." That's fair I guess. We'll just have to wait and see if they go for it.

"So, how are the Jedi doing? I haven't been in the Temple for a long time, is Yoda still the Grandmaster?" I nod.

"Yes, almost nine hundred years old and still kicking. Master Anoon Bondara is the Temple Battlemaster, I don't know who your Battlemaster was." He nods and takes another sip of his ale.

"I see, not too surprising I guess. Anything interesting going on that I'm missing?" Oh boy has he missed a lot.

"Well, I found Master Ood Bnar in a sort of healing trance on Ossus and brought him back to the Temple." Djinn blinks and looks so confused.

"The famous Jedi Master from Exar Kun's day? That was four thousand years ago, I doubt he's very familiar with current Jedi Orthodoxy." I sigh. Yeah, that's been happening. According to Maks he's caused a little bit of a quarrel among the Historians for his more heretical beliefs.

"You would be right, but he's a respected Jedi Master and taught me well." I'm still trying to learn how to study the Dark Side safely. Progress has been slow, but I'm getting there.

"Well if he gets kicked out, send him my way. We'll welcome him with open arms." I nod. I'll do that, assuming Ood wants too.

"This is significant for you as well, a few months ago I was on Onderon. There was a kidnapping attempt on the royal family. The person behind it knew Sith Magic and had a spirit working with him. They escaped, and we don't know who they are, or where they went." He goes quiet for a long moment, frowning.

"That is concerning, I haven't heard anything about that, but I'll have my people keep an eye out for anything like that. If we find anything we'll forward it to the Temple. That's something that needs to be dealt with as soon as possible." I nod my thanks and go back to my drink.

Eventually though we had to part ways; him about his own business and me mine. He wished me well and departed, leaving me and Ehruss alone in the restaurant.

"So, that is what you wished to meet him about, do you think he will do it?" I look up to Ehruss and shrug.

"I have no idea, it would be nice if he did, but he might not." I finish off the last of my rum and set the drink down. There's a nice buzz going, and I enjoy the faint sensation.

"Millions of Jedi, it's hard to fathom." Yeah it is. Though ideally there'd be Matukai, Luka Sene, and other Force groups as well. I'd be fine with them not merging and just sharing ideas. Ehruss finishes her drink, and we go to pay before heading back into Cloud City.

I parked my Senate-class transport in Port Town, and that's a long walk. Cloud city is a surprising tourist spot; why do people come here? There's casino's and sabaac tournaments certainly, unique spa's, and shopping. But other places have casino's, shopping, and spa's, and they have better views as well.

Despite that, the place is super crowded, and it is only the fact that I have a menacing looking Trandoshan with me that keeps me from being jostled all over the place. Especially when we enter the shopping district.

There are shops everywhere, small department store style buildings selling everything from jewelry to basic souvenirs. Clothing, shoes, cosmetics, and more. I'm tempted to do some shopping, but now isn't the time I think.

I stop and head over to the railing, looking down at the lower levels of the shopping center. Something's wrong. I can sense someone watching me, but focusing on where I sense the disturbance shows me nothing. It's like looking at a wall, knowing there's a door there but seeing no door.

"Ehruss, do you smell anything off right now?" Ehruss stops besides me and sniffs the air loudly.

"There are too many scents here, too much to differentiate." I nod slowly It was a long shot, but I had hoped Ehruss might sniff it out. I start walking again and notice the feeling remain.

"Just, be careful, I sense something. I don't know what." We proceed to the elevator and make our way down to Port Town, and the sensation continues to follow me.

Is there danger threatening Cloud City itself? I expand my sense outwards to the rest of the station. I don't sense any trouble elsewhere. It's just me then, typical.

I've got my lightsabers, and the Force if I didn't have those. I'm a bit worried though. There's this feeling that it's something more complicated than I'm expecting it to be. Could that Dark Sider from Onderon be stalking me? I don't sense any malevolence, just this sensation of being watched.

Granted considering how well Tandin, or whoever was Tandin, hid their intentions that means nothing.

As we enter Port Town the crowds thin, and things become a bit more clear. Someone's following me. I don't know who or why, but there's someone invisible behind me. I don't think it's stealth technology, but I could be wrong. So there's a Force sensitive behind me maybe?

Alright, Port Town is generally the seedier part of town, and as such it has side-alleys and such in between larger buildings. That'll be the perfect place to catch whoever this person is. People linger around the street corners, humans, ugnaughts, and more. Some of them eye me up, but most quickly look away when they notice Ehruss.

"Ehruss, someone is following us. They're invisible, can you smell any scent from behind us, by the entrance to that cantina we just passed." Ehruss sniffs at the air again, turning her head to face the direction of the cantina.

"Yes, I smell him, human I think." Alright, so not a droid I guess. That's more reassuring than not.

There's an alley nearby, and a short gesture to Ehruss has us making a beeline for it. There's no one around, and we move quickly down the alley. There's a corner going around to… something I guess. It'll do.

We make it around the corner, and I stop, gesturing for Ehruss to wait out of sight. I press my back to the edge of the building. The presence is still coming, so either they're not Force sensitive, or their ability to sense things is weak.

I wait for them to approach, and just as they approach the edge, I rocket around the corner, reaching for where I sense them to be. I grab onto something and slam it into the alley wall. My lightsaber is in my hand ignited and pressing up to the invisible stalker.

"Show yourself!" Ehruss follows me around the corner just as the invisibility drops. My stalker is male and human, wearing some kind of outfit. There's some kind of robe with multiple hidden pockets. He's got some weapons on him, a dagger and hold out blaster, but he isn't reaching for them.

"I-It's you! You're Viera Sarat, right?" Okay he knows me. How does he know me?

"How do you know who I am?" I focus on him more closely and frown. There's something familiar about him, but I can't place it.

"I-I need your help, please! W-we have to stop her, she's a killer, people are in danger." Alright, who are you—then it hits me. I recognize you.

"Hello Bruck."


	43. Knight Errant: Chapter Two

Bespin 36BBY

Bruck Chun? I hadn't ever expected to see him again. He'd been captured instead of dying like he did in canon. I had heard he'd gone to trial over attempting to destroy the Temple. But I don't sense any dishonesty in him. That isn't the greatest assurance of his honesty but it's close enough. He honestly believes there's a killer that needs to be stopped.

I let him off the wall, and he massages his throat for a minute before staring at me. Did I hurt him? I don't think so, but I could easily be wrong.

"Thank you, we have to hurry though. This assassin could destabilize the entire region, we can't let that happen." I still haven't heard anything about who this person is.

"Stop who?" I still don't know who we're going up against, beyond the fact that it's a woman, and she's a killer. This is going to be really annoying isn't it. Granted it's something that needs to be taken care of if true.

"This woman, she's a Seyugi Dervish, she's got some hired help with her. I can't take her on myself and local security isn't going to be enough." Say what now, Seyugi Dervish? I thought they were gone by this point. The Jedi Order had declared them on the verge of extinction with how few of them remained. It seems the Jedi Shadows missed at least one of them.

"Okay, that's pretty important. What's she here on Bespin for?" This is a pretty popular tourist spot, is her target some rich noble here on vacation?

"No, she's picking up some mercenaries and rearming before she moves on to Javin." Javin? That was a Muugari colony couple centuries ago I think. Now it's just a small time manufacturing world. Exports processors and parts used in starships and computers, and imports food.

"Who's she targeting on Javin?" I don't really remember the who's who on Javin, but I imagine someone important?

"She's targeting Governor Turis Lunelle, there's a summit on Javin scheduled for a few days from now. They're debating whether or not to partner with the ROSF. Someone doesn't want that to happen so they've hired this assassin to kill the Governess and throw the planet into chaos." That's a bit extreme don't you think?

"Wait, how is that going to destabilize the planet, or even achieve that goal?" Unless the successor to the Governorship doesn't want to join the ROSF for one reason or another.

"Governor Lunelle's administration is in a tenuous spot, there have been recent political tensions on the planet between her and her rival in the previous election. There have been a number of protests against joining the ROSF and other political issues. An assassination here could spark civil unrest across the planet. And if that happens then they can intimidate Bespin into staying out as well." Okay, that makes a little more sense. I suppose there's no harm in checking this out right?

"Alright, and why did you follow me across Cloud City invisibly to ask for my help with this?" He has the decency to look sheepish at this.

"Well, the Dervish knows I'm following her and set out some of her men to find me. I saw you and wanted to approach, but didn't want to get a fight started in the crowded upper city. I had intended to drop it and approach you once we got away from them but you spotted me and grabbed me first." Ah, I see, reasonable enough I suppose.

"Alright, where's her ship parked? We'll go check it out, see if your story adds up before we do anything." That'll have to do for now. Bruck nods, accepting the answer. There's a sense of desperation that could mean anything really.

"Lead the way then, Bruck." He nods and we head out of the alley. Alright, so the Seyugi Dervishes usually operate unarmed from what I remember. That shouldn't be too hard to deal with, I'm more worried about the mercenaries she's hired.

I turn to Ehruss who has been mostly listening to the conversation attentively, alright so time to plan.

"Ehruss, if things kick off, try and see if you can go for the ship's engines. Keep them grounded." She nods, and we continue on our way to the landing bays. We move briskly, occasionally having to push our way through crowds at some points. I apologize quickly as we move into the landing bay. There are numerous landing bays in this district. Our Dervish seems to be to the left, and my ship is to the right. Great.

Local security probably won't be much help; if this really is a Seyugi Dervish then they'll just be more fodder. Besides if this turns out to be nothing then I'll look foolish calling them in.

As we approach the landing bay, I move my lightsabers to my belt. Let them know I'm a Jedi, and if I'm lucky they'll either surrender immediately or attack immediately. Either option proves some form of guilt. Most likely though, this turns out to be nothing. There's a nagging in my gut that says otherwise though.

Alright, I see ten people inside the bay, one Cathar, four Humans and five Weequay. Okay, so which one is the Dervish. I want to say it's the Cathar; I can feel the most Force presence coming from her. We step into the bay, and every head turns in our direction.

Oh hey, they have a YT-1300, that's awesome. I want one someday.

"Alright, my name is Viera Sarat, Jedi Knight. I have a few questions for the lot of you." They are all armed, but no one raises their weapons. This is a good start I guess? Then the Cathar spots Bruck; she scowls and snaps to her colleagues.

"Kill them!" Okay, wait what? I ignite my lightsaber as the first of the mercenaries opens fire. There's a loud banging sound, and the slugthrower rounds vaporize on my lightsaber. Okay that's a bit concerning. She's smart enough not to use a blaster on me. I can't redirect slugthrowers back at them.

Ehruss opens fire and heads for cover while Bruck takes off into the mess of crates in the landing bay. The mercenaries take cover and open fire back at us. Who armed them with slugthrowers? I want to say the Dervish. Did she expect Jedi to come at her, or is this just a natural response to them having been hunted by Jedi for so long?

Speaking of, the Cathar is moving straight at me. Hello Dervish, let's try telekinetic shoving shall we? I summon the Force and push out at her, trying to send her flying.

She slows only momentarily before overcoming my push and surging forward with surprising speed. Okay, that didn't work, I bring my lightsaber down to sever her arm, and she leaps, spinning into the air to dodge. She lands gracefully and steps into my guard, jabbing and kicking at me.

I backpedal as she advances, trying to stay close enough that she can step into and around my lightsaber. If I had a shield of some sort, I'd bash her with it. I do have a second lightsaber however. I step back and call it to my other hand.

The Dervish leaps back as I step forwards. Both my lightsabers swing in coordination, forcing her to back up under my assault. I don't see a way for her to get close to me with this. She leaps up a crate, and I follow her.

If I can't grab her, then can I grab other things and use them? There's a small three meter tall crate nearby. I focus on it and lift it up. Alright, she's moving ahead of me, fling it onto her path and hope to cut her off.

The assassin twists in a very catlike fashion to sink her claws into the crate as it sails towards her, redirecting her momentum and leaping over it. Okay, fuck off with that bullshit. I pursue, and she spins suddenly, flinging something at me. The Force screams danger, and I step to the side to dodge, redirecting my sabers as several more knives come my way.

Okay, she seems to have branched out from unarmed combat. Again, distressingly smart. She's learned from being hunted by Jedi, but throwing knives aren't going to help her.

I lift another container behind me and send it flying towards me. I leap up and over the container as it instead sails for her. She dodges to the side, and I'm on her. I just have to hit her, she's agile enough to stay back and away from my attacks. I feint left and cross my blades only for her to slide under them and sprint for the main battle. I sprint after her and take stock of the situation.

Ehruss is pinned down by three of the assassin's helpers, and Bruck seems to be dealing with the others. He's actually not half bad, disappearing from sight and attacking from odd angles. Two of them go down to daggers in their throats, and the remainder bunch up to prevent him from slipping into their defenses. Bruck retreats back and goes invisible once more.

"Okay, I admit you're very talented now please stand down and let me arrest you." She doesn't answer me, and I sigh. Come on! Why can't I have an enemy that realizes it's better to surrender than fight to the death?

She changes direction for Ehruss who's too busy exchanging fire with the other mercenaries to face the Dervish, and I don't want to think about what's going to happen if the Dervish gets to her. I leap up and let the Force extend and guide my leap ahead of her. It's risky, but I need to cut her off before she gets to my friend.

I spin as I descend, lightsabers swinging for her head and shoulders. She ducks down and to the side, reaching up exceptionally quickly. She grabs hold of my wrists and yanks. I maintain my stance, pulling back against her, and she lifts herself up—using me as a balance—and kicks me square in the face.

Ouch, she lets go of my hands, and inertia sends me straight into the crate. I hit the metal hard, but my training softens the blow. Ehruss is safe though. The Dervish rushes to attack me, and I reflexively swing both sabers at her. She dances around them, and then she's in my guard.

She jabs at my shoulder, and I bite back a scream, everything's on fire now! That's a nerve cluster to be sure. Everything in my body is screaming in pain, but I can still move. I lean forward and headbutt her hard. She's too close for my lightsabers, and she stumbles backwards.

I make to follow her, but everything is slow. It's hard to move, and she dances easily, almost contemptuously away from me.

"Station security, Freeze!" It looks like Cloud City security has noticed the commotion and shown up. I see twelve security police there, more coming down the way.

The Dervish sprints away from me, and her mercenaries follow, heading for the ramp. I try to follow, but my legs start to give out on me, damnit. They sprint up the ramp under a hail of blasterfire, and Ehruss reaches over to grab and pull me to cover as a blaster cannon extends from the underside of the YT-1300 and opens fire.

Blasterfire scorches the crate around us and send the security forces diving for cover as the vessel takes off and blasts out of the zone. Bruck rejoins us as the dust clears, and I groan in pain as my muscles scream at me.

"Ehruss, get to the ship, we have to follow her." Ehruss lifts me over her shoulder. That's fine; I can't move as fast as needed. The pain is receding, but it's still excruciating.

"Stop, station security, what's this all about!" The security teams have gotten their morale back and are stopping us from proceeding. I appreciate their diligence, but I don't need it right now.

I raise my lightsaber and the sergeant snaps to attention, giving me a rushed salute. He doesn't really need to do that, but it's clear he has no idea how to react to a Jedi.

"Master Jedi, sorry to bother you, but could you explain what that was about." I wave Ehruss forward and for him to follow. There really isn't time to waste.

"That was an assassin, get on the comlink to your planetary security forces. Stop that ship or destroy it, one or the other." He nods and activates his comlink, heading back to help his subordinates clear the battle site. Good, it's a small chance but a chance nonetheless.

Bruck joins us, running with us to the transport. He hasn't done anything against us yet or betrayed us to the assassin. This could be a long con, but he has ample opportunity to kill us now and I wouldn't really be able to fight back that well.

"If that ship has a blaster cannon installed then it's logical to assume they have other black market upgrades. Are you sure, planetary security can handle them in time?" No, I'm not. I have no idea if Bespin has a fleet capable of catching up to and dealing with them before they jump to hyperspace.

"No, I'm not, but we need to be in the air and heading to Javin as well." If planetary security takes care of them then it's fine, and we move on. If not we can guarantee we get there around the same time.

Our transport's dead ahead, and Ehruss quickly carries me up the ramp, setting me down in the galley and heading for the cockpit to get us in the air. I clench my hands slowly as feeling returns to me.

"Bruck, have you warned the Javin authorities about the assassination plot?" He nods slowly.

"I've told them, but there's no guarantee they'll be able to assemble a defense against an assassin who can use the Force." That's fair I guess, good thing we're coming. There's still something that's bothering me though.

"So, how'd you even find out about the assassin and this plot?" Bruck sighs and pulls up the sleeve of his shirt. Jeez, that's a nasty set of scars, and they look suspiciously like claw marks.

"I've been chasing her across the Outer Rim for the last few months. I encountered her on Toprawa, then Bandomeer and Humbarine. I've been following her ever since, trying to kill her without success." I nod, good to know, but that still doesn't explain how he knew she was targeting the leaders of Javin.

"And how'd you figure out about her plan for assassinating Governor Lunelle?" Light shimmers around him for a brief moment as he adopts the camouflage he was using before.

"I managed to sneak in to listen to her meeting with those mercenaries we encountered. That's when I learned her plan, but I knew I couldn't take her down myself. She discovered me however and forced me to run off into Cloud City to escape. That's when I saw you. I could feel the Force in you and recognized you from the Temple. I decided to follow you and wait for the chance to ask for your help." Okay, so that answers that question but not how he learned to do this.

"What happened to you after that thing with Xanatos? How'd you learn to do that invisibility trick?" He looks down, and I frown, not a happy story I assume.

"I got sentenced to a year of community service, I was tried as a minor and my father paid some fines to lessen the sentence. I just... I had time to reflect, realized the mistakes I made. I wanted to do something to make up for what I did." He closes his eyes, remembering.

"My father was no help, he just blamed the Order for my faults, when I was sixteen I meditated for the first time in years and felt something tug at me. I didn't know what it was, but I followed it as best I could. I took some credits from home, and went to the Telos spaceport. The Force spoke to me, and I found myself on a transport with no idea of the destination." He smiles and looks up at me.

"I found myself on Dyspeth and met the Disciples of Twilight, the leader accepted my desire for redemption and she taught me how to move quietly, manipulate shadow and light to disguise myself and create illusory phantoms. I wanted to do more though, so I've been wandering the Outer RIm for the past two years, just doing what I can." He paused, obviously reminiscing.

"The Disciples preach shadowy justice, we go in as quietly as we can, solve the problem and leave. We don't seek recognition, nor reward. We just do what we can and move on." That's honestly pretty noble if true. I'm fine with that, but if he has that training he could also be concealing his more malevolent plans.

On the other hand, if he really was trained by the Disciples of Twilight, I'd assume they'd check to make sure he wasn't a Dark Sider in the making. The Jedi considered the Disciples to follow the Light.

This is disappointing though. I'd hoped to maybe be able to use it against Palpatine, but if I can see through it easily, then he can too. It would probably be good against smaller threats but not against anyone else. Trying to find the Fallanassi it is then. Bruck shakes his head slowly, lost in his own thoughts.

"I want to make a difference in the galaxy, to do some good. I know nothing will ever atone for trying to destroy the Temple, giving into the Dark Side, but I want to do what I can." I offer him a quick smile and nod. The pain is receding, thankfully.

"Admirable goals, I approve. I'm doing the same, wandering the galaxy and trying to help where I can. I'll be honest though, I don't trust you, you could easily be concealing hidden motives. I will however give you the benefit of the doubt." He frowns, unhappy with being distrusted but accepting of the reasoning behind it.

Ehruss comes back from the cockpit and sits down with us. The fact that she isn't reporting that Planetary Security has captured or destroyed the Dervish's vessel means they've escaped.

"We have entered hyperspace, the Cathar's ship jumped ahead of us." I nod and lean back in my seat, time to rest I guess. We'll get to Javin, alert the authorities, and work with them to bring in the Dervish.

"How far to Javin?" Ehruss shrugs.

"About twelve hours or so." I nod and lean forward to face Bruck. He looks back, and his face is weathered from fatigue and anxiety.

"Alright, we'll get some sleep and rest up. No point going in exhausted, and I need to recover from whatever she did to me anyways." He sighs and nods slowly.

"Alright, you're right, we're going to need all the strength we can for this. Thank you for helping me, for trusting me. I promise I won't let you down." I shrug.

"It's no trouble at all, I'd have tried to stop her anyways if I knew about her. I'm all for increased stability in the Outer Rim." I make to stand and wince at how sore my muscles are. I guess it's just general empathy, but Bruck is at my side almost immediately. He takes one arm over his shoulder and with a bit of direction he helps me to my cabin.

"Thank you, Bruck." He nods, and I close the door behind me, settling down onto my bed. I feel like I ran a marathon. Breathe in, breathe out, and sleep comes almost instantly.


	44. Knight Errant: Chapter Three

Bespin 36BBY.

We come out of hyperspace over Javin, the Senate-class transport traveling through empty space directly towards the planet. I'm in the co-pilot's chair, and Ehruss is piloting the ship in.

"Do you see her ship?" Bruck's standing behind the co-pilot's chair, staring out the viewport. What does he expect to see? I can feel his nervousness, so I hold back a snarky response and turn my attention back to the scanner.

"I don't see her ship on the scanner, a few Action VI's and one of the older YT-1250's." Javin's planetary defense force seems to consist of a Marauder cruiser, two CR-90's, and a squadron of Cloakshape starfighters patrolling the outer system.

"She must have gotten here far enough ahead of us to get to ground. We have to hurry." I frown and raise a hand to poke him in the chest.

"Bruck, calm down. Remember your training from the Temple, you're nervous. The assassin won't go straight for the Governor, she'll want to scout out the situation first." He looks at me for a moment, before breathing in and slowly relaxing.

"If I knew I was being hunted, I would go to ground and wait." Good point Ehruss. I turn back to the console and activate the comlink.

"Javin Planetary Security, this is Jedi Transport Allusis, coming in for a landing in Jakar." The comm is silent for a moment before someone answers.

"Transport Allusis, you are cleared for landing in docking bay 21. You are clear for approach." Ehruss turns the transport towards the planet. We'll get in, go to the Governor, and work on catching this woman.

"Transport Allusis, belay that, proceed to the Governor's compound, landing bay A-2." A new voice says over the comlink, and I shrug. That's fair; it just makes it easier to get in to talk with the Governor.

Our nav computer pings as we get the course correction data, and Ehruss adjusts the ship's course. She can handle the descent. I stand up from the co-pilot's seat to head back into the rest of the ship.

Bruck follows, and I make my way down to my impromptu armory portion of the ship. Three boxes immediately grab my attention, and I crouch down to open them. Bruck stands over me, looking down and whistles.

"That's a lot of grenades." I shrug.

"They're mostly flashbangs and adhesive grenades." The Temple Quartermaster was actually willing to cover the cost of the non lethal grenades. Bruck chuckles softly.

"Still, I suppose those will be useful for dealing with her companions. Do you mind if I borrow some?" I shake my head, and he grabs a few flashbangs.

"Go back up and help Ehruss make the final landing, I need to contact the Temple." He nods and seems all too happy to leave the galley. I retrieve my Jedi beacon from my pocket and plug it into the communication device. The signal changes to a direct line to the Temple comm center. I press the activation, taking a seat across from the device. There's a few minutes of nothing then a robotic voice answers.

"Temple Communication center, what can I do for you, Knight Sarat?" I lean back and consider what exactly I want to say.

"Inform the Council, priority code Saber, I have encountered one of the Seyugi Dervishes in the Bespin system. Help from a local informant has revealed a planned assassination attempt on the Governor of Javin. I am enroute to the planet now, and am requesting assistance from any Jedi in the immediate region." There's another pause as the droid processes the security code and my message.

"Understood, Knight Sarat, I will forward your message to the Council." The communicator shuts down, and I stand up, about what I expected. They'll get back to me shortly I hope. I grab a few flashbangs and adhesives, attach them to my belt, and move on.

"We'll be landing in a few minutes, Viera." I nod and head back into the cockpit. We're descending into the atmosphere, and my god, Javin is an ugly planet. Deserts and mountains as far as the eye can see. The urban zones are the only thing breaking up the monotony of dirt, sand, and rock.

It's almost what I imagine Tatooine would be if it were more populous and more urban. Jakar is a reasonably large city by Earth standards, easily as big as someplace like NYC. It's the capital and thus the biggest population center on this world.

How one and a half billion people live on this desert world I have no idea. They have to import food by the freighter load. Granted, their exports are far more valuable than their import, so maybe there's a profit to be made?

If I had the time, it'd be interesting to see how many people live in Jakar and how the rest are distributed. Are there small towns scattered across the planet or are they all concentrated in big cities? Our transport descends across the large city to a complex located near the center. The Governor's mansion is a gaudy affair in my opinion. Three stories tall with pillars carved out of some marble equivalent. The house itself designed to evoke a sense of ancientness. It would work better if the walls surrounding the complex and the rest of the buildings didn't look so modern. There's a landing pad on the other end of the compound. I see another ship parked there that looks like one of those fancy star yachts. Someone has a lot of wealth. Unsurprising I suppose, considering where we are. Ehruss lands the ship gracefully, and after a moment, I hear the ramp descending. Time to go see what's up.

I head for the ramp with Ehruss and Bruck behind me, as I descend I spot three people waiting for us at the bottom. All of them are human, save for a single Zabrak male. He steps forward as we descend, bowing low.

"Greetings, Master Jedi, on behalf of Governor Lunelle I welcome you to Javin." He's dressed in an immaculate but loose robe. I assume it's their formal wear; a suit would be killer in this heat. Something's off about this though. I just can't place it.

Still I need to remember my courtesies, I bow in return, and he smiles slightly in gratitude. I imagine he's probably used to people dismissing him.

"Thank you, I've come to assist the Governor in dealing with the assassin" He blinks, and his aura screams of confusion. He doesn't know?

"I am afraid I have no idea what you're talking about, Master Jedi. There has been no news of an assassin here." Scowling, I turn to Bruck who raises his hands defensively.

"You said you informed the authorities on Javin!" My hand reflexively moves to my lightsaber.

"I did, I got in contact with Captain Tahlee myself. He took down the information and said he'd get it to the Governor." The Zabrak frowns at the name and looks around.

"Inside then, quickly. It's best not to have this conversation in the open." He waves us forward, and we proceed towards the mansion. The three of them are looking around carefully as if expecting some sort of danger. Alright, expand the senses outwards, feel the current of the Force around me.

This whole place is on edge. The people working inside are going about their routines, but there's a tension in the air. Underlying it is a boiling energy, an anger that seems to infest the entire city. Oh man, this is a civil war or riot ready to happen. I don't like this situation at all.

He leads us inside and up a set of stairs. I take note of the armed guards at the bottom and top of the stairs. Looking outwards, I can see a lot armed guards in the mansion. The Zabrak stops to talk to each one briefly, and we continue on.

I guess we're heading to the Governor's office then. The person on the other side of the door ahead of us is probably said Governor. Two more armed guards meet us outside the door and scan us for weapons. Bruck and Ehruss are forced to give up theirs, but the two back off when they see my lightsabers. Haha, perks. No one expects a Jedi start something I suppose.

The Zabrak knocks on the door, and I hear a woman's voice tell us to come in. He opens the door, and we step inside. Governor Lunelle is a tall woman, dressed in a flowing robe. Her hair is done in a short ponytail. That aside, her gaze is stern when she looks at us, reminds me of Ilena in a way.

"Ah, Vakim, you've brought the Jedi here?" She wasn't expecting me then. The Zabrak, Vakim, bows slightly and steps forward.

"Yes, Governor Lunelle, she's here pursuing an assassin targeting you I think." Governor Lunelle turns to look at me, and I sense the shift in her aura, a bit of fear but also anger.

"Is that so, please tell me everything Master Jedi." She steps back behind her desk to take a seat, and the three of us find seats for ourselves. Vakim bows and leaves the room.

"Just over twelve hours ago, the three of us encountered the Assassin, a Seyugi Dervish, on Bespin. Bruck here had already been following her and discovered her plot to assassinate you during the summit. He came to me and Ehruss, together we fought the assassin before she managed to escape to her ship and jump off system." The Governor nods and waits for more.

"We followed her into space and jumped to the Javin system shortly after she did, however when we arrived she was nowhere in sight. I can only assume her ship had a better hyperdrive than ours. She could easily be on the planet already." Or she decided to bail in the face of pursuit. I somehow doubt that. Bruck takes the moment to speak.

"I called in to warn you, I spoke to a Captain Tahlee about it." She sighs and leans forward again.

"I'm sure you did, and I have no doubt he promised to send it on to me. But he is Sihin's creature to the bone. And I have no doubt it is Sihin who called for that assassin." Okay, this bodes well, who's that?

"Maam, if I may, who is Sihin and why would he want to assassinate you?" This is more complicated than I'd like it to be.

"Karl Sihin, my Lieutenant Governor. He is by all accounts my successor should anything happen to me. We… disagree on a number of issues relating to Javin. With the tensions boiling on the planet, those disagreements have only increased." So, this Sihin guy is trying to become the Governor by killing her? Gosh that's such a stereotypical evil plot. Granted this is the Outer Rim, and it could work if news didn't get out.

"What tensions are you referring to? I assume it has to do with the upcoming vote over whether to join the ROSF?" She nods. Ah, Bruck was right about that.

"Yes, you have to understand, the people of Javin are a very independent sort. So far from Coruscant we're used to doing things on our own. Joining the ROSF would bring prosperity to Javin and safety as well. But it would also erode at the independence of Javin. Our planetary security forces will integrate and cooperate with the ROSF on every level. To some, that is an unacceptable loss of independence for Javin." Yes, but the tradeoff in safety has to be worth it right? I saw their planetary defenses; a good enough pirate group could tear through them with little trouble.

"They're trading independence for security, both for themselves and their families. Surely that's worth the increased oversight?" Bruck shrugs behind me.

"People in the Rim are stubborn, they've gotten so used to protecting themselves that having others do it for them feels like defeat." I sigh as Governor Lunelle nods. Well if I remember right, the Outer Rim was supposed to evoke a bit of the Wild West?

"Indeed, and there are many people on Javin who would welcome the safety the ROSF offers. But this is a democratic government and a vote must be held. The Summit coming up will allow those who agree and disagree a chance to discuss and come to a decision." Ah, democracy in action. I don't doubt that the Dervish will strike then.

"So, how can we help Governor Lunelle? I'd like to catch this assassin but I assume it won't be as easy as I was hoping." That Sihin fellow, Captain Tahlee, anyone else I'm missing? Governor Lunelle sighs and leans back in her chair.

"Investigating this will not be easy, the guards in the mansion and the surrounding complex are trustworthy. I have made sure of it, but outside them? I don't know who is more loyal to me over Sihin. To complicate matters, discussion among the population has gotten… heated lately. There have been protests, more as the summit approaches. There have even been a few riots in the poorer parts of the city. Get with Captain Daneb, she is my head of security and trustworthy. She'll have a better grasp of the situation." Alright then, I guess I'll have to do just that. I stand up and bow to the Goveror. Bruck and Ehruss join me soon after.

"If there's nothing else, we'll go talk to Captain Daneb now." Governor Lunelle nods.

"She's downstairs in the security hub, I'll see to it that you and your companions are given security clearance for the mansion. Thank you, Master Jedi." I nod, and the three of us leave her office, reclaiming Bruck and Ehruss's weapons at the door and heading downwards to find Captain Daneb.

Captain Daneb is a lithe human woman of middling years, her face marred by what I assume to be battle scars. She looks us up and down as we approach. She does not look happy to see us, or maybe that's the scars fault. It takes a few minutes to inform her of the situation. She doesn't interrupt or ask for clarification, and after we finish she is silent for a long moment.

"Yes, that is a problem, I don't think Sihin's behind it though. Not his style, he's too much of a patriot to hire an assassin." Okay, that's good to know, but it doesn't really provide a lot of answers.

"Why not? The Governor seems to think he's the kind to do it." Thank you Bruck, for asking in my place. Captain Daneb shakes her head and turns to the security console behind her.

"The Governor and Sihin are old political rivals, going back years at this point. He's the leading political force behind opposing joining the ROSF. She has every reason to pin the blame on him." I shrug, that's politics I suppose, so glad I'm not involved in that. Daneb sighs and looks at the console display quietly.

"The Assassin piloted a YT-1300 you said? I don't have any YT-1300 on the report for incoming ships." She frowns at the data before sighing quietly.

"It could have been edited out, if so then the only way to get the original file would be to go to the Perseverance in orbit." I frown, leaning over the console.

"Then why not go get it? Send a shuttle up to grab the original data?" That would make the most sense I think.

"They can edit the original data, it's just difficult to do so. Unless they're paranoid they'll assume that we won't question the edited readings. If we ask for the originals then they'll just go back and edit the originals so that we can't prove anything, or track the ship." Hmm, fair but then how do we get them?

"Is there a reason you could set up a shuttle to the ship that wouldn't set off their paranoia?" Daneb frowns but thinks about it for a moment.

"I do need to speak to Lieutenant Malran about security for the upcoming summit. I could send a shuttle to pick him up for that meeting." I nod slowly; an idea is forming in my brain.

"Bruck here can use the Force to make himself invisible to others. Send the shuttle up with him in it, he can get to where the original files are stored and bring them back." Bruck disappears for emphasis, and I see her mouth upturn in something resembling a smile.

"You'll need codes to access the data storage, I can get them for you. Make sure no one spots you and get back on the shuttle before it departs." Bruck nods as she hands him a datapad with presumably the codes needed to access the information.

I turn to Bruck and give him a firm clasp on the back.

"Good luck, Bruck." He nods, and I can feel his aura spike at the reassurance. I'm not one hundred percent convinced his motives are true, but if he's faking it, then he's doing an impressive job at it. If he's lying, he's doing himself a disservice by not going into acting.

I turn back to Captain Daneb as Bruck leaves to get ready for the shuttle.

"Alright, in the meantime, anything I can do to help with security?" She shrugs and brings up a schematic of the building.

"I'm sure we can think of something." I nod, and together we go over plans for the summit.


	45. Knight Errant: Chapter Four

36BBY Javin

I stand at the entrance of the Governor's mansion, waiting patiently for the Jedi reinforcements to arrive. Am I nervous? I think I'm nervous; I wasn't sure what to expect when I got the message from the Temple.

Oh it's great that they said there was a Jedi Master close enough to come and offer assistance, and she'll be right on by. Great and what's the name of this wonderful Jedi Master who's come to offer assistance? Why, it's a simple name, Fay. See, just three letters.

Holy Shit! Fay was no lie, one of the icons among all of us younglings growing up. She almost never came to the Temple, but we all heard of her exploits nonetheless. She supposedly didn't think it her destiny to be a teacher, but I'm positive half the younglings dreamed that they could be her student.

It's like meeting your hero; they likely don't even know you exist but still! She doesn't carry a lightsaber though, so that is a bit concerning. But nevertheless! She is one of the strongest Jedi Masters of the time. She's almost as old as Master Yoda.

I can see her coming down the street! Well, I felt her land, how can I not? She''s a bright spot in the Force. It's like seeing a tornado of power walking towards you. I am not prepared for this.

Bruck walks up behind me, not really understanding why I'm excited, but even he can sense the strong presence in the Force. Oh, that's right. I forgot to tell him that I called for some help.

His trip to the Perseverance was successful. There was a YT-1300 on the Sensor data that wasn't on the data they initially sent. There's a rat somewhere on that ship. My guess is Captain Tahlee, but there's no proof of who edited the data. That said, the sensor data says the YT-1300 landed in Bay 21. Except there's no ship in that bay, and no YT-1300 in any of the others.

So the Assassin got here several hours before us and landed someplace else. Captain Daneb says that there are dozens of places the ship could have landed, both private and corporate. She's managed to divert three guards and a single landspeeder to go between these landing zones to look for the ship. It's almost nothing, but she can't afford to spare anything else.

"So, what's the deal? What are we waiting for? Captain Daneb's guardsmen aren't going to find the assassin's ship that quickly." He looks down the road and spots Fay approaching.

"Who's that, you called in another Jedi?" There's a hint of anxiety, and I nod, pointing to Fay.

"Master Fay is coming here, she was the closest Jedi and answered the call. I'd say this is as good as done." I'm not even worried anymore. She's strong enough on her own. We are safe.

Ehruss, standing behind me, follows my gaze to the approaching Master Fay. She tilts her head and sniffs at the air.

"She smells odd, a thousand worlds mixed together." Huh, she can tell the different scents apart by world? Or maybe she's just being poetic.

"She's centuries old, I imagine she's been from one end of the galaxy to another." Ehruss turns her head to face me, looking for any hint of dishonesty, before turning back to Fay.

"Ah, a respected Elder then, wise and authoritative." Ah right, Trandoshans have shorter lifespans than most species. The older Trandoshans are venerated for living as long as they do.

"Yes, she's very wise and very well respected, both of you need to be on your best behavior." I'm sure neither of them will cause a problem . I'm just a little anxious. I've actually wanted to work with Master Fay for a long time. She doesn't consider herself a teacher, so there's nothing she'll teach me. I just really want to work with her.

Master Fay finally makes it to the complex, and I step forward to greet her. I stop at a respectful distance and bow before her.

"Master Fay, thank you for coming to Javin." Gosh she's pretty. Master Fay returns the short bow before speaking.

"I was the closest Jedi, you mentioned a Seyugi Dervish. I have not seen one of their kind in many decades." So she's fought them before? Of course she has, the Order spent a lot of time rooting them out.

"I imagine she's probably one of the last still operational in the Outer Rim, either that or more survived than were initially thought." I mean, millions of planets across the galaxy. It's entirely probable that some of them went undetected.

"Maybe, regardless we'll stop her assassination attempt. What have you learned so far?" We step inside the walled complex, crowds just beginning to form on the streets: protesters and counter-protesters.

There have been several demonstrations since I got here. The first got violent before I stepped in. Once they realized there was a Jedi on the planet, things calmed down somewhat, but I'm sure that just means they've moved their more violent confrontations to back-alleys and other out of the way places.

"The Governor believes that Lieutenant Governor Sihin is behind hiring the assassin, but Captain Daneb is less sure. Regardless, we know that someone on the PDF command ship is working to hide the assassin. She's on the planet, we just don't know where." Fay nods and takes the datastick I hand her. It's got a copy of the sensor data from the Perseverance.

"I assume the Governor has soldiers looking for the ship?" I nod, and she pockets the datastick for later.

"Not many though, they can't afford to spare too many guards. Tensions are high and with the summit tomorrow it's all about to get worse." An assassination of the planetary governor in the middle of a summit with a populace this polarized would cause havoc.

"Then that is the time when the assassin is most likely to strike. If not then she will have broken her contract." Normally I imagine most assassins would decide to bow out by this point, but a Seyugi Dervish? I expect we'll see her tonight or tomorrow, if we see her at all.

"In that case, I say we spend the day helping the guard find the Assassin's ship. Your companions can stay behind to protect the Governor. They'll signal us if an attack takes place." Alright then, I nod to both Ehruss and Bruck who make their way back inside the mansion.

Fay and I head for the motor pool. There's a speeder there we can take. The guards and staff know me, and Fay by association, so it isn't hard to grab an available speeder and take off into the city. Fay is driving while I look over a map of Jekar.

So, Captain Daneb gave me a list of the known private and corporate landing pads around the city. Apparently having one requires registration with the government, yay for bureaucracy. Her guardsmen have hit most of the private landing pads, generally used by the planetary elite. The corporate pads are a bit more spread out, owned by dozens of companies that have assets here.

I'm also an idiot. I can see through walls. So we just have to drive by the landing pads, look to see if there's a YT-1300 and move on if not. That makes our search a lot easier, though there are still well over a hundred pads.

"I can feel your anxiety, what's wrong?" I glance over at Master Fay, she hasn't looked at me, but I can feel her attention on me. Am I anxious? I suppose there's a degree of anxiety here. This is my first 'mission' without Master Tavik around. I've done some smaller stuff before now, but nothing this important.

"I guess, I was just knighted two months ago. I've been wandering the Outer Rim since, but I haven't done anything this big on my own yet, aside from you of course. My former Master isn't here this time." I guess it's just finally setting in that I'm on my own, making my own decisions now.

"Ah, I remember my first assignment after becoming a Knight. Don't worry, once you realize that it's not so different from your padawan days, things become easier to bear." I guess. It's still hard to resist looking to him for advice on what to do next. He's back at the Temple, and I'm out here now.

"So, Master Fay, you've been wandering the galaxy for centuries right? Any advice for a knight trying to do something similar?" Granted, not completely like you. I still intend to take a padawan someday, and I've no problem returning to the Temple to catch up with friends and take official assignments from the Council. She considers the question for a moment.

"Follow the Force, that's all I can really suggest. It's what I do. Quiet your mind and listen, you'll find the Force guiding you where it wills you." Huh, well ask a simple question, get a simple answer? So what, just meditate in front of the nav computer and punch in the coordinates that come to you?

"If you say so, Master Fay. So, you've fought the Dervishes before? Any advice on ways to fight them?" Because my last fight was going fine until I got kicked in the face.

"It depends, some of them are stronger in the Force than others. The weak ones you can just send flying with the Force, but the stronger ones can usually resist. You'll want to force them into somewhere narrow, prevent them from using their mobility." So an open landing zone is a bad place to fight someone agile, got it.

Huh that means if I can fight her in the governor's mansion I'll do a lot better probably. Okay, good to know. Next time, I am going to kick her ass so hard.

We hit at least a dozen landing pads and find exactly nothing. Plenty of Action VI's and some YT-510's and YT-1250's but not a YT-1300 to be found. Only like ninety pads before we've covered them all.

"Do you think they even landed in the city? They could have found a place to land outside the city and just settled down there?" Fay shakes her head, turning the speeder down a side street.

"It's possible but unlikely, an orbital scan would reveal them immediately. They could have some netting to disguise themselves but that's speculation. If they did though, then there's no finding them for now. Focus on the Force, answers could be found there." I nod and sink into the Force, spreading my focus outwards and searching for the ship, for the assassin.

It's difficult though. All around me is this sense of foreboding, fear, violence, and anger. Any one of these could be the assassin. It's not the Dark Side necessarily, but it is the combined fear, unease, and anger in the population itself.

I can't sense anything else. It's like trying to read while blaring music is playing in your ears; you can't focus on the words.

"Nothing, at least nothing related to the assassin. The political tension here has left the people so in turmoil, I can't feel anything but their fear." Fay frowns and turns the speeder around a corner.

"That's unfortunate, we might have to let her make her attempt then. If she's smart then she'll hide herself in the city and use this turmoil to hide herself from us." Yeah, there's not a lot we can do on that end.

"Alright then, we'll continue searching till nightfall and return to the mansion. If we don't find her before, then we'll just have to wait till the summit itself." I nod, and we continue into the city.

We search the streets of Jekar for hours, going from one end of the city to another. We drive by pad after pad, some empty but most filled with ships. None of them a YT-1300. The fruitlessness of our efforts is frustrating, but I rein it in. This isn't a situation that favors us, but we're doing the best we can with our disadvantages.

Bruck and Ehruss check in occasionally to report an the all clear back at the mansion. The staff there are all busy with preparing for the summit, apparently it's been changed at the last minute to be at the Governor's mansion instead of the Congressional building. I would imagine it's because the Governor's mansion has better defenses? Though from what Bruck tells me, people aren't happy about the sudden change. Color me surprised.

As we approach the governor's mansion, Fay is forced to slow down. There's a crowd of protesters and counter protesters in front of the mansion blocking our path. I can see a ring of guards keeping them separated, and when they see us, they start pushing the crowd back to clear a path.

It seems the crowd has noticed us now, and as we move towards the entrance I can hear them yelling. They're not really that happy to see us. There's a variety of slurs, some creative, some not. We're called sorcerers, kidnappers, brainwashers and more. Some of them are just chanting slogans and phrases.

Fay is silent through it all, moving steadily towards the gate. The Force screams danger, and I stop the projectile thrown our way. The rock floats in the air for a moment before I let it fall harmlessly to the ground, more rocks come at us.

Neither of us have any issue repelling the rocks harmlessly. However, each failed attempt only spurs on the protesters, and it's something of a relief to enter the gate and hear it close behind us. Fay moves the speeder into the motor pool and gets out silently. I do likewise and join her by the speeder.

"First time getting boo'd at?" I turn to Fay and shrug. Yeah, but I knew the Jedi had a bad reputation in certain places. It's just weird going from being generally respected to being hated. I'm used to criminals hating me, not civilians, I can understand their reasoning though.

"Yeah, I'm fine with it though. They're angry, at us, their government, their situation. The Outer Rim is safer in some ways, and yet still dangerous in others." Fay heads towards the mansion, and I follow her.

"Master Jedi! A moment, Master Jedi!" We both stop as an older human male heads across the complex towards us. Who's this? I haven't seen him before. He's tall, bearing a military demeanor with a neatly trimmed mustache.

"Master Jedi, Lieutenant Governor Sihin, I apologize for not greeting you earlier. My work has been piling up with the recent summit and I could not get out of the office." He extends his hand to shake, and we both take turns shaking his hand. So this is Kaarl Sihin? Honestly, I was expecting something different.

"Lieutenant Governor Sihin, a pleasure to meet you. I am Jedi Knight Viera Sarat, my companion is Jedi Master Fay." He looks between the two of us and gives a short bow.

"A pleasure indeed, Master Jedi. I heard you were here investigating an assassin and came to promise whatever support I can for the investigation. Assassin's are a cowardly and devious lot, and Javin will be much better without them." Fay glances at me briefly before turning to Sihin.

"We will happily accept your aid Mr. Sihin, but tell me, how much do you trust Javin's planetary defense force?" Sihin turns to her with a frown.

"Why, with my very life! I served on the defense force for many years in my youth. They are Javin's pride and joy. Our defense force is more than adequate to protect Javin." Okay, Daneb was right, he is a patriot.

"Really? Cause someone up on the Perseverance edited yesterday's sensor data to hide the assassin's ship. We don't know who though?" Sihin looks at me for a moment, trying to find any dishonesty, and finding none he flares.

"Why, you just point me in the direction of this traitor, I'll have him facing a military tribunal before he can blink! The nerve of someone, betraying their own homeworld, I would see this traitor found. Sadly there will be no time to find them before the summit but mark my words I will be lighting fires until I find this scum." He… seems to be telling the truth. His anger is genuine to be sure.

"Of course sir, until then, Master Fay and I will be doing our best to protect the summit, I trust that we can expect full cooperation for the duration of this investigation?" He nods and gives us both a short bow.

"You will have my utmost support, I have long respected the effort the Jedi Order has put into keeping peace in the galaxy. That the galaxy is still so chaotic is a testament to the size of the galaxy, not to the failure of the Jedi themselves." He wishes us both well and excuses himself to do his duties.

Fay and I look between each other as he departs. Well, I had really hoped he would be a slimy corrupt bureaucrat that could easily be made out as the enemy in this.

"Well, I'm less convinced of Sihin's guilt than I was before." Fay nods as we turn to head back inside.

"Indeed, but remain cautious. He could be hiding his true intentions, but trust the Force." I nod and open the door for her.

"We'll need to prepare for the summit with Captain Daneb now. Get a feel for the layout of the mansion and plan possible approaches." Fay nods, and we step inside to get to work.

We've got plenty to do before tomorrow.


	46. Knight Errant: Chapter Five

36BBY Javin

Today's the day. People are filing into the complex, representatives from various administrative districts on the planet. I'm not that familiar with the Javin system of government. Governor Lunelle is the leader of the planet, but she has numerous democratically elected people beneath her who also have a say. Her power does not extend to unanimously declaring the planet allied with the ROSF. She has to convince them that joining up with the ROSF is the best plan going forward.

Hilariously enough, I find myself actually siding with Sihin to a degree. Sure, I want the ROSF to keep expanding across the Republic, but if Sihin is to be believed, his 'party' wants increased funding to Javin's own planetary defense force.

Certainly, Governor Lunelle's plan saves cost, but Javin should definitely work to bolster their own defenses. Hell, add a wing or two of starfighters, and Javin would be much better off.

I look to my left where Fay is stationed; she's been watching the crowd of protesters forming across the way. We've both agreed that those protesters are the perfect cover for any troublemakers to slip close to the complex.

"Grounds are clear. The Governor's positioned guards in strategic locations, and Bruck is watching the second floor of the mansion." I nod to Ehruss and look back at the crowd. I can't sense anything off, but that means nothing. The entire crowd is angry, any really malevolent intentions are being masked by them.

"Good work, Ehruss. Once all the delegates are inside, I want you to post up inside the motor pool. It's an odd place I know, but if there's an attack and they get inside the mansion you can flank them." I'll be inside pushing them back. Between the two of us we can hopefully pin them in and take them down.

"As you say, Grashkowh." Ehruss stays behind me, watching the oncoming representatives. Once they're all in, the complex's shield will activate, and things should be safer. I can't imagine what the Dervish's plan is. She has to get past the shield, past the guards, and us if she wants to get to the Governor.

The last of the delegates enters the complex, and the gate begins to shut.

"Master Fay!" I wave to her, and she jumps down from the wall to walk over to me.

"The crowd is clear, I don't see anything off right now but I'll keep an eye on things out here. You watch the conference inside." I nod and turn to go inside as Fay heads back and leaps over the gate. The shield shimmers to life, and Ehruss heads for the motor pool. Okay, shield is on, and everything's good.

As I walk across the complex, I can see guards stationed across the complex, some others patrolling in set routes. I can't sense anything off with them, but how many are the ones handpicked by the Governor and what about the loyalty of the others?

Captain Tahlee denied ever receiving any communication from Bruck, and there's no records of any transmission between the two. So now I'm not quite sure. In any case, Bruck will be in a place that's important enough to guard but not so important that him being a traitor will cause any problems.

I'm still not convinced he is one, but I suppose we'll find out today. I click on the comlink. I can see him standing on the second floor, but I want to hear him to confirm it. It's only a small reassurance, but reassurance nonetheless.

"Bruck, how's it look on your end?" I turn off the speaker and wait for him to respond. There's a brief crackling sound before he replies.

"All clear up here, Captain Daneb has a few of her guards with me. This entire wing seems clear, no sign of the assassin. How are things on your end?" I follow the patrol of guards around him, seems like enough guards to slow him down if he is a traitor, no worries there.

"About as well as could be expected, there's a pretty big crowd of protesters outside the complex but otherwise no problems. I don't know how the assassin plans to sneak into here." Unless she crashes her ship into the shield, there's not much chance of her getting into the complex.

"I couldn't say, she might have some explosives on her ship to breach the shield, or she could have more helpers we haven't met yet. She hasn't really worked with others the last few times I encountered her. If she's got help now, then I couldn't even begin to say whether she has any more." That's not encouraging. A lot of Javin's security forces are tied up watching the protesters, guarding the palace, or stuck in the outlying garrisons. If they struck quick enough, Jekar could be looted of valuables before a response team got anywhere near.

"Alright, stay alert then. Inform me of any changes." I make my way inside the mansion. The delegates are filing into one of the larger conference rooms, and I head that way. I'll stay just outside the door. I can see inside in case of any problems and watch the outer hallway.

"Thanks again, Viera. Thanks for giving me the chance to prove myself." I sigh and turn the comlink back on.

'You'll do fine Bruck, remember your breathing exercises from the Temple, you won't be able to do anything if you're too tied down by your anxiety." I can hear him breathing on the other end of the line.

"I know, it's just been a while, I want to see her stopped. I need this victory, one and a half billion lives are on the line." Don't I know it, if Javin descends into anarchy then the rest of the sector is at risk as well. Mugaar, Bespin, and Anoat are nearby and also lucrative targets for the pirate groups in the region..

"We will, trust your instincts, trust the Force and you'll do fine." I can hear Governor Lunelle welcoming the delegates and bringing the meeting to order on the other side of the door. This entire thing is being broadcast to the rest of Javin.

"I… thank you Viera, I won't let you down." Mhm, thanks Bruck, good to know. If he redeems himself, I wonder if he would be interested in going to see Master Altis and the other Altisian Jedi. The Almas Academy wouldn't take him, but the Altisians might.

"You're welcome Bruck, don't worry and may the Force be with you." He doesn't respond, and I put the comlink back on my belt. There's a calmness in me right now. I'm a bit surprised, but with the day having arrived, I only feel profoundly calm. I know what's coming. I've done what I can to prepare, and now there's only waiting for the blow to hit.

"We can not sacrifice Javin's independence and culture at the cost of more oversight! We must do more to expand our own planetary defenses. We have defended ourselves perfectly fine before, we do not need them now." There's Sihin. He's sorta right, but the pirates had juicier targets than Javin before. Now with the more vulnerable planets flocking to the ROSF for protection, the pirates are turning to different targets.

"Times are changing in the galaxy, we need to change with them. We are not immune to pirate attacks, even with an expanded defense force. Where do you expect us to find the money to buy and maintain more ships? Would you suggest an increase in taxes to compensate, or would you rather we cut other important programs?" Lunelle fires back. What is Javin's income I wonder? Kirtarkin's nearby and apparently gets billions of credits in tariffs yearly. Javin doesn't have that much traffic though, which makes that a little less possible.

They could maybe form an alliance with Kirtarkin, but that would basically end up the same as the ROSF with Kirtarkin being the senior partner in the alliance, dictating Javin's defenses. Sihin wouldn't go for that. They could try increasing prices for their products, but that comes at the risk of losing important business.

Hmm, a Wing of starfighters is three squadrons, roughly twenty starfighters per squadron. With the going price of T-65 X-wings, a single wing of X-wing's would come out to ten and a half million credits. Eight million or so for a wing of Y-wings, surely they could afford a roughly twenty million credit expenditure to buy two wings of starfighters and train the pilots needed.

Hell, the Cloakshapes are even cheaper, if not as powerful as the T-65's. Plus they're easily moddable. Pretty good for a pirate group or planetary defense force, less so for a military, but what do I know. There are a lot of things that poorer planets like Javin have to juggle; sometimes defense isn't as much of a priority as it should be. Several other delegates from Lunelle's party add their own two cents into the conversation.

"The subsidies going to Akarta are critical for our export production, we can't cut them."

"Well we're certainly not cutting any food imports from Kaal, we need those to not starve. That's a good quarter of the budget right there."

"Those blasted zoning fees need to be increased if we're going to cover such an expenditure!"

"Do that, and corporations will simply move to places with less regulation, we can't do that." I shake my head and tune out the conversation. It's already descended into subjects I have little understanding of. I grab my comlink and click it on again.

"Master Fay, how's the front gate?" I look outside and don't see much. The crowd has gotten bigger, but that's about it.

"The crowd's bigger and a bit rowdier, but nothing else. The security forces are doing a good job of keeping them contained." I nod to myself and glance around the mansion. Bruck's still where he was, talking with one of the patrol guards. The guard nods and goes back onto her patrol route, and Bruck looks back out the window.

Okay, we're good on that front right there. Nothing moving in the mansion. Alright, focus on the Force. Spread your sense outward, it's like throwing a rock into a pond. Follow the ripples outwards, I can't sense anything wrong still. The big mass of restrained violence and unrest in front of the complex is still fucking with my perception of what's out there, and judging by what Master Fay's said, she doesn't sense anything either.

Something pings at the edge of my perception, and I frown, looking around. What the hell was that? I follow the sound back to the source, it's… above us? The Perseverance, I get a vague impression of the ship itself. Something… I have a vague sense of the people there. Disciplined, purposeful and something more. There's an underlying sense of malevolence that I can't place.

"Captain Daneb, can you get me a status report from the Perseverance, is everything all clear up there?" Oh the last thing we need is an attack from above right now. This planet is not ready for it.

"One moment, Jedi Sarat." Captain Daneb goes quiet, presumably talking with the captain of the ship. The ping goes off again, and I focus on it once more. Okay that's not the Force… Alright, what was it Master Tavik said about sensing electronics and other power generating devices?

Alright, something on the ship then? I focus more on the ship itself. The reactor is thrumming with power, a giant beating heart at the center of the beast. The electronics of the bridge control system. The nearly three hundred crew fade away as I focus on the bare electronics.

The ping goes off again, and I reach for it. Where did that come from! It's electronic I know that much. My senses take me along the width of the corvette towards the hanger. There's a… activator? To what? Okay focus on the activator. There's a buzzing sensation in my skull that points to what? I follow the sensation and it leads me to the… reactor?

Oh that isn't good. I follow the sensation, and my danger sense goes off like a bomb. Literally, there's something in the reactor that is not meant to be there.

"Captain Daneb here, Lieutenant Malran's given the all clear on his end. No sign of trouble." The hell there isn't.

"Belay that Captain Daneb, there's an explosive in the reactor. Tell Lieutenant Malran to get some men down there asap." I reach for my lightsaber; things are about to kick off. From where though?

"An explosive! But how, who… I'll get right on it Master Jedi." Uh-huh, right, I activate the comlink again.

"Master Fay, we've got trouble. Someone put a bomb on the Perseverance, it's not gone off yet but I don't doubt that we're about to have trouble." Okay, is the assassin here yet? No, I don't sense her or see anything off about our surroundings.

"I'm on it, I don't see anything out here but I'm on guard." Alright, that's as much as I need from her now.

"Bruck, we've got some trouble, be on your guard. I'll signal you if it gets any worse." There's a sense of something, at the edge of my perception. It's not just the bomb now. There's something else.

"Viera, do you sense that?" Fay's back on the comlink, and I answer quickly. She senses it too, so it's not just me. A pity, I had hoped I was just going crazy.

"Yeah, I don't know what it is though. Keep watch on the crowd." Where's it coming from? I can't pin it down; there's too much going on.

"Master Jedi, Captain Daneb reporting. Lieutenant Malran's got a squad in the reactor room. Someone's set up a proton core on the reactor. They're working to defuse it now." A proton core? Shit, that would have completely destroyed the Perseverance and probably the entire cloakshape squadron with it. It still might if whoever set the proton core knows it's in the process of defusal.

"Viera! Something's wrong. I sense danger, how about you?" Oh man, I sense it now too. There's a blaring sense of malevolence coming from… where? I turn my gaze to the crowd, and there are people moving within it now—armed people, a lot of them. A grenade sails out of the crowd towards the guard line only to be deflected by Fay. Blasterfire erupts, and suddenly, the whole front gate erupts into chaos. Okay, Fay can take care of that. She's a Jedi Master for a reason

"Yeah, do you have the front gate under control? This could easily be a distraction." I hear blasterfire on the other end of the comlink. There's shouting now. The crowds are scattering everywhere, making it hard for the guards to shoot back.

The attackers have no problem firing through the crowd, and bodies fall. Master Fay sends one attacker flying as another shoots in her direction. A vehicle barrier lifts up to intercept the shots as Fay fends off the attackers.

"I have things under control here, watch the rest of the complex, I sense—" whatever she was going to say is cut off as an explosion shakes the complex, and outside I can see the protective shield surrounding the place shimmer and fail. God damnit.

The door to the conference room opens, and Sihin steps outside.

"What is going on out here!" Obviously we're under attack, but I refuse to snap at him. The conference room is reinforced and only has one way in.

"There's an attack on the complex, get back inside and wait it out." He makes to object, and I firmly guide him back into the room. It is chaos in there, people screaming and shouting over each other. I'm not dealing with that. I close the door and turn back to the situation outside.

There's people inside the complex now? There are guards rushing around, some to the front gate, others to pre-set checkpoints and me in the middle of it all.

"Captain Daneb, how's the defusal going?" Please let them have taken care of it, please let them have taken care of it!

"The proton core's been successfully defused though someone took one of the shuttles and left." I sigh in relief and lean back against the wall. Something's going right at least.

"We've got another problem though Master Jedi." I groan, what now? Let me guess, that proton core was to take out the Perseverance so that a raider force could blow through and hit Javin.

"Four Interceptor frigates, two marauder corvettes, and an assortment of freighters have just dropped out of hyperspace. Lieutenant Malran counts sixteen ships in total. They're moving towards the planet now." Goddamnit, I knew it.

Okay, so this isn't going to be a conventional invasion. They're probably coming in to raid the place and bug out. But they'll need troops to secure prisoners and such. Depending on how big those freighters are there could be anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand pirates coming down. The hell are we supposed to do?

Alright, even with the Perseverance intact they'll blitz through the defenses here. I imagine they're here for slaves then. Well that sucks, but we just have to hold them off long enough for help to arrive.

"Send a distress beacon quickly, I don't care to who, just get the message out." The Perseverance likely has a good enough transmitter to get the message out.

"We're on it Master Jedi, but there's no way our defense force will hold off that fleet for long. We don't have the defenses for it." I know, goddamn Core worlds leaving this section of the galaxy to flounder. I understand why so much of the Outer Rim joined the separatists now.

"Bruck, we've got pirates incoming, meet me down on the first floor, we'll need to stand by to repel them."

"We've got trouble in here as well, Captain Tahlee and a number of guardsmen turned traitor and took out the shield generator. They're firing on the rest of the complex." Wait, what? I turn my focus to the grounds, and sure enough there's a firefight going inside the mansion complex.

"Alright, change of plans, do your invisibility thing and help take out the traitors." I see him run off and disappear in a shimmer of Force energy. Okay, that's settled now where is… ah there she is. Hopping the fence around back. Okay, you bitch, this time I'm kicking your ass.

I twirl my lightsaber in my hand and head off in her direction.


	47. Knight Errant: Chapter Six

36BBY Javin

Great, there's a small pirate fleet in orbit, we're outgunned nearly two to one, and there's chaos in the streets. As if this day couldn't get any worse. There are guards rushing past me as I make my way through the corridors of the mansion. I can see the assassin ahead. She's not quite inside the mansion yet, but she's working on it. I'll have to let her get inside, take advantage of the narrow corridors.

"Fay, what's going on outside?" The assassin's heading for the side door by the kitchen. I head slowly towards the kitchen, lightsaber out but not ignited.

"There are three squads of mercenaries out front, fifteen total. We've got it under control though." Alright, that's good to hear. It's about to be out of control though.

"We've got a pirate fleet in orbit, expect transports with more pirates soon." I cut off the transmission, best to let her focus on her own problems for now. At least she knows what to expect.

"Lieutenant Malran, what's your status?" I forego asking Daneb for a sitrep and just contact the man directly.

"We're on alert, all gunners are at their stations and our squadron will be in the air momentarily. We're outgunned though." I realize that, what else can we do?

"Can you get a distress signal out?" Bruck, Ehruss, and the guards can handle the outside threats. I've got this, and Fay can work on the front gate. If they land more troops though, then what?

"We've already sent it, I'm going to try and skirt the edge of their battle line. We'll try and blast as many of those freighters as we can." The line cuts off, and it is just me in the hallway. The sounds of battle in the distance, I breathe in and out, letting the Force flow through me. This moment is all there is; focus on the now.

I put a burst of speed to my movement as the kitchen approaches. I see her slipping into the kitchen and heading for the door to the main hall. I leap into the air as she reaches the door and swing the hilt of my lightsaber down in an arc, igniting it just as she makes to step through the door.

The snap-hiss of the lightsaber fills the hall, and she ducks, rolling forward as the saber cuts a gouge into the wall. She's on her feet in an instant, tossing a knife at me as she does so. I step to the side, not even bothering to deflect it as my lightsaber descends on her.

She backpedals and steps to the side, lunging at me. Oh no, not that again, my saber isn't going to be fast enough, and I lash out with my free hand. It slams into her face and sends her into the wall as my lightsaber descends towards her. Credit to her though, she recovers fast and twists in the air, kicking out at me as she lands. The kick connects, but I'm prepared and take the blow easily. She scrambles to her feet and runs down the corridor, me hot on her heels.

What appears to be a shelf snaps off the wall and flings itself at me as I give chase. Dodge that, alright so she's getting a bit more involved this fight. There's something that looks like a nightstand ahead of her, and as the Dervish nears it I reach out to fling it in her path.

It slams into her legs and sends her forwards. The Dervish rolls with it and flings it at me as I approach and my saber slices downwards to cut it in half. She continues running and I follow, I need to keep her from just running off. She's pretty good at avoiding me grabbing her, something else then?

"Get back here!" I grab for one of the adhesive grenades on my belt. There's no hope of me actually catching her in it, but I have a different idea in mind. I toss the grenade and send it forward with the Force. Predictably, the Dervish dodges to the side, and the grenade sails past her. Thankfully though, I wanted that to happen. The grenade detonates and expanding foam fills the corridor and hardens.

It also blocks her path. Now there's a hardened foam barrier in front of her and me behind her. What now, bitch? She hisses at me, and I smirk. Oh she knows she's in trouble. There's a long moment of stillness as both of us plan our next move. She darts forward, and I match her.

I move to block her path, and she shifts to the left, then back to the right, as I match her every step. My saber lunges and jabs at her as she does so, forcing her back, but she can't retreat without hitting the wall of foam and allowing me the opportunity to pin her with no room to maneuver.

"Stand down, and surrender. I promise to take you in peacefully." She growls at me but does not comply.

"You think stopping me ends this Jedi? You have no idea who you're dealing with. This won't stop Black Sun for long, I'm just a pawn, a useful one but a pawn nonetheless." Black Sun? Oh, that's a bit ominous, but I'm not too worried. I shrug and raise my lightsaber, choose and act. I choose to fight and beat her.

"I'll end this invasion, that's a start. But thanks for telling me who to go after once this is done." She snarls and goes low to get by me, and I swing low to block. The Force warns me just a second too late as my throat involuntarily constricts. She's stronger than I thought she was.

Okay, focus, break the hold, break the hold! I focus on the Force, and my throat relaxes, but a stand slams into my back. The impact knocks me off balance momentarily, but the choking is gone at least.

She charges at me, hands raised to attack, and I let the flashbang on my belt detonate. She screams in pain and stops her attack. She's blinded and open now, so I raise my lightsaber and move towards her.

As I step forward to cut her down, the Dark Side slams into me. I scream in pain; it's like being stabbed with a gigantic needle. She's… I can feel my stamina draining, strength leaving me. She's draining me!

I focus on the Force, drawing upon it for stamina and forcing my body to move. My hands move slowly, as if submerged in molasses, but I draw on the Force and push forwards. A torrent of Force that sends her flying back. I guess draining me took enough of her attention to prevent her from defending herself.

I gasp slowly… that was exhausting. Okay, I didn't know she could do that. She's better trained in the Dark Side than I had thought. I'll need to see if I can take her alive; the Council will be interested in questioning her. Is there another strong Dark Sider out there I don't remember? I'm fairly sure neither Sidiour nor Plagueis would make use of the Dervish, not with Maul around.

The Dervish recovers and rushes at me again. The stand at my feet rockets off the ground towards my face. I'm ready for it this time, grabbing it with the Force and taking control of it from her. She attacks, launching a flurry of kicks and punches in my direction as I dodge back. I fling the stand at her, and it slams into her. She stumbles back a few feet, and I step forward to kick her while she's distracted.

Okay, I reach for another adhesive grenade. I'll just encase her in foam and pick her up later, get some guards to watch her while the battle goes on

I prepare to throw it and something whips into my back. I hiss as the darts break my skin and force me to my knees, behind me, when did she drops those? It doesn't matter now, as I focus on neutralizing the toxin. Remember what Del taught you, purge the poison, a cleansing fire runs through my veins. She dashes past me, and I swing for her legs. She leaps over the swing and keeps going.

"Get back here!" I stand quickly and chase after her. She heads for the corner, and I increase my pace as I cleanse the poison. Alright, I can catch her; she hasn't escaped yet. I've got her wounded.

As she rounds the corridor an arm appears in midair and clotheslines her, knocking her down and causing her to skid into the next room, carried by leftover momentum. She tries to scramble to her feet when a blaster bolt hits her square in the chest. She stumbles and rolls to her feet, avoiding Bruck's next shot and lashing out at him with her claws. She's surprisingly resilient. Her Cathar physiology maybe?

Bruck is ahead of her though, already backpedaling and firing. The Cathar backs into the room, using tables and chairs for cover as Bruck opens fire. We're in a dining hall of some sort? I don't know what it is, but it's an opportunity. Bruck's doing a good enough job of distracting her so I decide to move, lifting chairs and tables one after the other, and flinging them at her.

In this crowded room, there isn't much room for her to maneuver, and while she dodges the first chair, the follow up table slams into her and lifts her into the air. Then it's basically over, with nowhere to dodge she gets hammered over and over by chairs, tables, and anything else I can fling at her.

It's not so easy when there's nothing distracting me from you, now is it? I take another adhesive grenade and toss it into the mass of broken wood and fabric just as she lands in it. The foam expands immediately trapping her in a mess of foam. I walk over to her thrashing form and kick her in the head as hard as I can. Her head jerks into the hardened foam, and she's out like a light. Alright, I took her alive, awesome, go me!

"Did you guys take care of the traitors?" If he's here then I assume so. He shakes his head slowly. He's breathing a little heavily but seems otherwise fine.

"No, they retreated out one of the back gates and I came back to help. I heard you fighting and decided to wait and see what happened." Alright, they won't be gone for long then. He'll stay here until some guards can be directed that way.

"Bruck, stay with her until some guards get in here to watch her. The Council will want to question her later." He nods and crouches near her, blaster trained on her face.

"When the guards get here, meet me out front." The mansion itself seems to be secure for now. There's a squad of guards covering the conference room with the delegates, another squad in the foyer, and one on the second floor. The rest of the guards are in the complex.

I leave Bruck to guard the Dervish and head outside. Instantly, I duck for cover as a freighter flys overhead raking fire across the complex. It's that goddamned YT-1300. I can see it turning around for another run. Time to run, don't be an easy target. Ehruss is by the motor pool, firing along the ship's flight path. Unless she gets a lucky shot that ship won't be bothered by it.

The YT-1300 makes another run, and the landing area goes up in flames. My ship! Granted the only really valuable thing on it was my Wan-Shen from the Matukai, and that thing's sure to survive the explosion. Still though, it was a piece of shit, but I liked that ship! They are so going down for that. More importantly they also destroyed the front gate.

I head for the main gate. Blasterfire is shooting out of the smoke and into the complex. Guards run for cover or get downed by incoming fire. Debris from inside the complex lifts up and sails into the gloom, that would be Master Fay I'm guessing.

I rush into the fray, switching to Shien and batting bolts back into the smoke, the Force guiding my lightsaber. The pirates are on the other side of the street and down the block, taking cover behind doors, walls, and whatever else. Fay is behind a barricade, lifting objects around her to send flying at any pirate who gets too close.

There are two dozen guardsmen pinned down with her, and I move to the frontline to cover them. Instantly I'm a target, the lightsaber drawing the eye of every pirate in the area. My flashbangs aren't going to be very viable now; I'll just blind my allies.

Plan though, beside me under cover is Captain Daneb. She pops out of cover to fire a couple bolts at the enemy before ducking into cover.

"What's going on!" I've kind of missed whatever's been happening here. She looks up at me and seems happy for any excuse to stay in cover.

"Three shuttles landed at the end of the street. We count at least two hundred pirates in the surrounding buildings. More of our security forces are pinned down across the city by those freighters. Another group has landed in the market district." What are they doing there? I deflect a bolt to the right, and the pirate who'd just ducked out of cover to fire takes it in the head and drops.

"Unknown, I assume for prisoners to be taken away." Fair, and also horrible but if we're pinned down here, I don't know how we're going to stop them. The freighter zooms by again, and the Force gives me enough warning to leap back as quad laser turrets blast the ground around me. Dirt and rock are thrown into the air. One guard goes down from shrapnel, screaming in pain.

I move back to the defense. Fay is concentrating. The Force swirls around her, and across the road a building that the pirates had been using for cover slowly begins to shake before the roof caves in, burying the twelve or so pirates inside. Good job, Master Fay.

They're not dumb enough to throw anymore grenades at us, but a couple of them have frag grenades on their belts. I reach out for those grenades and press the activators. A couple of them realize their peril and reach for their belts, but it's too late. Explosions rock the street. A dozen or so of them are dead, but we're still pretty outnumbered.

"The Dervish said that this was being organized by Black Sun, what do you know about them? I know a lot about their history but less than I'd like about their activities in the Outer Rim." Captain Daneb curses and stands up just enough to fire a quick volley.

"Black Sun? They have a number of operations in the region, and some intelligence suspects they've got more activities in the Senex Sector but not much else. They could manage this, but it's awfully bold for them. They've handled the changing Outer Rim better than the other criminal groups. They're probably trying to take advantage of Javin before we join the ROSF." Well, I guess it's about what I expected. If you know an easy mark is about to become too difficult to hit then you try to grab as much as you can beforehand. With the going rate for slaves so high the payoff must seem worth it. I activate my comlink again.

"Lieutenant, what's going on up there?" There's a long moment of silence, then frantic shouting and Malran answers

"They're all over us! Shields are at twenty-percent. But we've bled them a bit." Sadly about what I expected, no help there. We need to take care of those freighters, free up the forces pinned down, and get started routing the rest of them. If they take too many losses they'll have to bug out.

"Master Fay! Can you grab that YT-1300 and force it to land?" She looks my way and frowns, before nodding. "Get it close to the ground."

I have a particularly stupid idea, but it's been my experience that stupid ideas have a better odd of success. No one expects them.

The freighter comes around for another run, and Fay reaches out for it, grabbing at it with the Force. The freighter shakes, jerking as the pilot tries to turn the ship up but can't. I back up into the complex, heading for the ship as it lowers to the ground.

The pilot fires wildly, but Fay has maneuvered the ship so that there's nothing important in its lines of fire. The bottom quad turret can't get a shot, and the top turret has nothing to shoot but his friends.

I duck around cover when I get the chance and wave to Ehruss as she runs from the motor pool towards me. Alright, where's the ramp? I doubt they thought to lock the ramp when they took off, and I'm certainly not going to give them time to do it. I press a button on the outer hull, and the ramp hisses as it begins to open. As soon as it's down enough I run up it, lightsaber ready. There are only three people onboard, the pilot and two gunners.

Ehruss comes up the ramp behind me as I head for the cockpit. The pilot pulls out a blaster and turns to shoot me, but I deflect his shot back into him, and he slumps in the seat. Alright, grab and yank him out of that. I hear two shots in the distance, and Ehruss has killed the gunners. I head off in her direction.

"Ehruss, get to the cockpit and take over, wait for my command." She rushes off, and I start lifting the corpses from the gunner positions and into the hall. We can dispose of them later. It's only a matter of time before the other pirates realize one of their freighters has been taken. I turn on the comlink as I climb into the top turret.

"Bruck, get out here and into the YT-1300." I don't wait for his reply and take the controls. Okay, so that fires, this turns the gun. I can't see the targeting computer, but I've got the Force. I see Bruck running out of the mansion and across the complex. He jumps up the ramp, and I see Fay let go of her hold on the ship. It speeds off, and Ehruss takes over the piloting.

"This is an insane plan!" Bruck comes down the hall and starts climbing down into the bottom turret. Well of course it is.

"I don't have sane plans, this is our best option right now. Ehruss is going to fly us over the city. The rest of Jekar's guardsmen are pinned down at certain points around the city. Use the quad turret and help them out!" I can see him nod to himself, taking the controls and turning the turret around.

I can hear the comms traffic from the pirates, and man, they know we're on one of their ships. The comms traffic shuts down abruptly as the pirates switch to a new channel. Well, here goes nothing.

"Ehruss, what've you got for me?" I sink into the Force and wait.

"Four YT-2400s and three YT-1250's are heading our way. Scanners show heavy modifications on all of them." Alright, seven on one. Those aren't the worst odds, but goddamn do I not like those odds.

"Bruck, remember your training let the Force guide your shots, Ehruss fire at will." I yank the turret right as the Force gives me warning and press the trigger.

Here we go.


	48. Knight Errant: Chapter Seven

36BBY Javin.

The ship jerks as Ehruss turns out of the path of the incoming ships, and I press the trigger, allowing the Force to guide my shots. I can hear Bruck firing too as the pirate ships zoom past us. The YT-2400's don't come heavily armed in their stock form, but these look pretty heavily modified. I line up one of the lead 2400's and press the trigger, opening fire on the ship.

The freighter spins and banks upwards as fire rakes across its leftmost wing. The shield pings under my fire, but it otherwise goes undamaged. Another turn and my view is filled by the city below, or is it above, and I look for new targets.

Laserfire blasts past our ship as the pirates come around on our tail, and I turn my turret in their direction. Alright, come on bastards. Two 2400's and a 1250 are behind us. Their fire is dancing around us, but Ehruss' piloting is keeping them at bay. I see a stream of laserfire from Bruck's turret shoot at the nearest 1250 and add my own fire to it. Ehruss spins to avoid two heavy laser shots, and I fight the sense of vertigo.

The 2400's seem to have been outfitted with heavy laser turrets and ion cannons from what I can see. They're not quad turrets like ours, so they don't fire as fast, but man do they hit harder.

The freighter weaves and breaks right under our combined firepower. Quad laserfire tears into the 1250 as it's shields begin to waver, before finally failing entirely. Laserfire rakes along it's hull from both our guns.

Fire erupts on the 1250, a stray bolt hitting the engine and sending the ship into a slow death spiral. It crashes into an intersection and detonates. I really hope no one was nearby. I really don't want this dogfight to be over the city, but I'm sure the pirates won't be courteous enough to follow me outside the city limits.

"Aim for their engines, if we detonate them in the air it'll be less dangerous when the debris hits the ground!" Bruck shouts over the intercom, and I nod slowly. Alright that I can do. It's not a perfect plan, but it's the best we can do for now.

"I'm on it, concentrate fire on the 2400's first, they're the most dangerous." As I say that, the ship rocks under fire and I have to fight to not be jerked around the turret. I hate flying, I hate aerial combat even more. Give me solid ground any day of the week.

Our ship jerks left and banks into a spin. I can't get a clear shot like this even with the Force, but I try nonetheless. This was so much easier in the simulations. The pirates follow, fire missing us by inches. Heat washes over my turret from a shot that gets way too close for comfort.

"I'm open to any suggestions, we can't dogfight all six of them forever." I am not a Jedi Ace. I've put plenty of time into the starfighter sims with Jang back in the Temple, but they always ended with me dying to her. I could really use her help right now. She'd tear through all of these pirates herself.

"We can try to maneuver them into each other, make them crash maybe?" That's a strategy I suppose, but how the hell do we do that? Wait, can I push them with the Force? At the speed they're going I couldn't hope to just stop them like Fay could. I'm not that strong.

But one thing I remember from the flight sims is that once you get going fast enough you only need to push the stick a little bit to turn. If we could get them all behind us again? They flew in a pretty tight formation. If I could just nudge one of them into the other? At that speed even bumping into each other should do a ton of damage. Worth a shot at least, Master Fay managed to catch one in the air and slow it to a crawl, what I'm thinking of doing is a lot smaller scale.

Not a terrible option all things considered, Ehruss goes up, and the pirates follow, firing directly at us. Okay, look at the ships before you, focus on their shape and form. The two 1250's are the closest together, and I direct my fire away from them. I don't need them spreading out. Call on the Force, breathe in and out, feel the shape of their hulls, the thrum of the engines and hyperdrives. Listen to the echoes and reach out, the lead 1250 wobbles slightly to the right under my direction, but the pilot corrects it quickly enough, damnit.

Ehruss dodges right, and the ships scatter. Okay moving them is harder than I thought. It was a good idea though. I just forgot to take into account the pilots themselves. Laserfire slams into us, and the ship rocks from the impact.

Yeah we kinda need to do this now. Ehruss can't keep doing this forever. Bruck directs his fire onto a 2400 that gets too close, and it's shields flicker and fail just as the ship breaks off pursuit right into my firing line.

Okay, not missing this opportunity, I let the Force guide my hands and press the trigger, turret fire raking across the 2400's hull and then towards the engines. The 2400 tries to dodge, but it's too late as the engines spark then ignite under the fire. The 2400 erupts, and I count one more down.

"Master Jedi! We've got a problem down here!" Captain Daneb? What now, we've got a problem up here! I key on the comlink just as the ship banks into a turn.

"Jedi Sarat here, what's the situation?" I blanket fire at the pirates, and an ion blast barely misses our shields. They're getting a bit more active. I don't like that at all.

"Some of our guardsmen broke out of the garrison and spread out into the city, the pirates have transports in the merchant district. They're moving civilians towards them!" Shit, this is a slave raid then. If those transports take off, then they're as good as gone. I can't take out their engines in atmosphere, or it'll kill the civilians on board when they crash back to the ground.

But if they get into space, their fleet will be able to encircle and protect them at least long enough to jump to hyperspace. But this is an opportunity! The prisoners are their goal, the heavy transports their means to get them out, but if they lose those transports? They'll have no more reason to stay.

Revenge certainly but this is Black Sun; they're professional enough to know when it's time to leave. I'm a bit busy up here though.

"Master Fay, can you get to the merchant district, there's a bit of a dogfight up here." Another hit rocks the ship. How are we doing on shields I wonder? I'm scared to ask.

"The pirates have sent reinforcements to the mansion. It'll take me time to deal with them and get over there." Time is not on our side. I sigh in frustration.

"Alright, Ehruss! Bring us down and head for the merchant district." A proton torpedo sails past us, and I hear the impact below. They're frustrated I guess. That's the only reason I can think for them to try something with such a low chance of hitting. That or they want to cause chaos and destruction down below.

The merchant district isn't far, as the YT-1300 flies, and yep there they are. Three bulk transports parked in the center of the plaza. The pirates have cleared a landing pad, and there are people being outside them being herded into groups by the pirates. I don't see anyone onboard them yet. How to do this, break the engines? Shooting the engines isn't much of a plan. That'll just detonate the ships and kill the civilians around them.

"Bruck, hit the transports, disable them but don't destroy them!" I turn my turret back to the ships around us. I'm not even trying to really hit them at this point, just force them off our tail. It's working… somewhat. A daring 2400 takes my turret fire for a good ten seconds to try and line up a shot on us.

Bruck opens fire on the transports below. I can't see what effect he's' having, but transports like those generally don't have a lot of defenses. Especially if they're planning to put a bunch of people onto them.

The 1250's are back again, forming up behind us and firing ion shots. Okay, so I can't move their ships with the Force, not with any accuracy at these speeds, but I can see into their cockpits. I can see the people piloting them. If I can do that, then I can focus on them, and the control stick in their hands. A control stick is a lot easier to move than a ship.

Okay, mister pilot you're about to get intimate with your friend. A much easier touch of the Force and the control stick jerks right and with it, the 1250. I feel the pilot's shock and panic just before he hits his friend.

Both 1250's slam into each other and go off course immediately. I blanket them with fire, and they tumble to the ground. Huh, they didn't explode; that works just as well. I think they're out of the fight though, which is the important part.

"Even if we stop them from taking off, that still leaves the pirates down there with a bunch of hostages!" Bruck points out the obvious problem with this plan. Okay, we're going to need some help then.

"Captain Daneb, any guardsmen near the merchant district? We can disable the transports but that still leaves a bunch of hostages. Some troops on the ground would help a lot." Laserfire erupts around us, and an alarm goes off. I'm betting that's our deflector shield down.

"Deflector shields are offline." Ehruss reports from the cockpit, and I breathe in to try and settle the knot forming in my stomach. Things have gotten a bit more dangerous now.

"Four squads are heading for the merchant district, just delay them a little longer Master Jedi." I can do that, might be the end of me, but I can do it. Those three 2400's are going to be a problem though.

They've spread out. I don't know if they realized what I did, probably not, but they're adopting a loose formation anyways. That has had the benefit of making it harder for them to focus fire on us, so benefits there I guess.

Could I use the same trick to force them into the ground? Probably not, they're high enough that they could recover from that before they hit the ground, and with us dogfighting over the plaza, I don't want them to crash into civilians. Plus trying it is distracting, and I need to keep firing on them if I want them to not blow us out of the sky.

"Ehruss, how long until the deflector shield recharges?" One of the three remaining 2400's falls into line behind us, and I open fire on it. The 2400 returns fire, and I can feel the heat of the lasers flying overhead. Oh man that is nerve wracking.

"Forty minutes at least." Ehruss replies. I curse softly; that's not soon enough. I need them back now, please and thank you.

"Bruck, how's it going with the transports!" I can't afford to lose focus on the freighters behind us, but I'm hoping he's doing better than me.

"One of the transports is disabled, I'm working on the other two." Okay, good to know, but it's not going fast enough. Those 2400's are going to hit us eventually. Speaking of, a laser blast slams into our hull, and the ship jerks again. Damnit, just fuck off already. Something is rattling on our ship, and I glance around. Okay, our sensor dish is fucked. We can get that replaced, that's the least of our worries right now.

"We're getting torn apart up here, that's not fast enough." Where the hell is Captain Daneb's reinforcements? We need to break off.

"Alright, I'm moving from the transport to the freighters, we don't have any choice." His turret joins mine. One 2400 takes the hit and veers off, follow it quickly! Our fire chases it down, and it banks spacewards. It's shields are flickering. I try to follow and finish it off, but it's out of my range.

Okay, not destroyed but I'll take that; it's apparently leaving. Ehruss brings the ship around, coming up on the merchant district again, and I turn my attention that way.

Oh, looks like Captain Daneb's troops are here. I can see them trading fire below us. Okay, they can handle that I hope. Two more ships left against us, we're doing pretty well actually. Still need a plan though—wait I've got one. They're pretty focused on us right now.

"Ehruss turn us about, fly past the mansion." Ehruss complies as quickly as she can, and the ship orients around. Okay, now I need Master Fay's help.

"Master Fay, we're heading your way. Could you do that same trick with one of these 2400's on our tail, except just hold it in the air this time?" I just need it to stop, so Bruck and I can wail on it until it detonates.

"I'm on it, head my way." Already heading there Fay. I wait for Fay to get started, and we pass over the mansion complex.

Behind us, one of the 2400's jerks in the air and begins to slow down rapidly. Bruck and I don't miss the opportunity, focusing fire on the now slowed freighter. With nowhere to go it's forced to take the fire, shields flickering and failing. The ship's engines light up as the pilot hits the throttle in apparent desperation.

The 2400 begins to slip from Fay's control before suddenly changing course and slamming forward into the ground, holy shit! Nice going Master Fay, master of telekinesis. It looks like it took out a building or two. I hope no one was in them, well no civilians at least. I'm less worried than I would be about the pirates. They deserve what they get in this case.

The last 2400 apparently has a strong self-preservation instinct and veers up into space like it's friend. I'm not a hundred percent sure what to do now. We have no shields to speak of, so going up to join the battle there is pointless and suicidal. Even a glancing blow from a turbolaser is enough to vaporize this ship.

What now? Back to the merchant district I guess. We need to stop the pirates from getting away with any prisoners.

"Ehruss, bring us around for the merchant district, let's hit those transports." Ehruss turns the ship around, and I prepare to line up a target. The Force warns me a moment before it happens, a booming clap like thunder, shaking me to my core. Even my teeth seem to rattle as I jerk in my chair.

"What the hell was that?" I look around and see the impact crater behind us, what the fuck. I look up, and it's impossible not to slump in defeat. By the Force, how are we going to deal with that?

The six ships descending into the atmosphere around us are gigantic, in comparison to ours, and armed to the brim with turbolasers and laser cannons.

We can't fight them. Nothing we do to those ships will matter, and a glancing shot will destroy us. Ehruss goes evasive as more turbolaser fire flies around us. I climb from my turret, there's no more point to using it now. Bruck looks up at me as I descend, and I can feel the fear and desperation in his aura. I won't deny, I'm scared too. I can't fight this, at least not in a way I'm trained to.

"What the hell do we do now!" He asks, and I don't have an answer. There's no convenient answer here. Even assuming the distress signal got out, it would take any friendlies hours to get here. They'll be gone by then.

I step back onto the deck of the YT-1300 and reach for my lightsaber and comlink. There's still something I can do, no matter how small.

"Ehruss, bring us in low. I'm getting off and heading to the plaza on foot. You take the ship and find some cover to park it. We'll meet up later." I hear Bruck climbing up the ladder to join me. That's fine; he can come along. I'll take whatever help I can get at this point.

"I will do so Grashkowh." Ehruss thankfully isn't arguing, and we both head for the ramp. Now isn't the time for hesitation, choose and act. There's a hiss of air as the ramp opens. We're about twenty feet up, and I sprint off the ramp, using the Force to guide my descent. Bruck is right behind me.

Ehruss guns the engines and takes off for safety while Bruck and I sprint in the direction of the plaza. Turbolaser fire rains around us as the pirate frigates spread out across the city. They can't be just trying to take out Ehruss or us; this is retaliatory. I don't want to think about the casualties of this attack.

A lance of energy comes screaming down ahead of us, and I stumble backwards, Bruck right beside me. The impact forms a crater in the middle of the street, speeders too close to the impact detonate and are forced into the air, coming down into the street or crashing into nearby buildings.

The screaming is everywhere, a crescendo of voices, human and not. The buildings have occupants, people huddled in fear, waiting for the danger to be gone. I look around frantically, the Force speaking to me, a hundred different things. My sight focuses on one in particular, the building ahead of us. The roof collapsed under the wave of force. There are people buried under it, still alive. I feel their terror and pain through the Force. I turn to Bruck and wave him onwards.

"Go! Help the guardsmen in the plaza, I'll catch up to you!" I rush off towards the building, bursting through the door and into the mess of collapsed metal, wood, and other materials.

I breathe in slowly and focus on the rubble, lifting it slowly. Gradually it begins to rise, and I get a better look at the people trapped underneath.

The woman looks up at me, cradling her young son under her body. They're both bruised and cut but seem otherwise fine. I lift the remnants of their roof up and over, pushing it outward to create a safe zone for them.

"Find a safe place to bunker down, don't come out till you get an all clear." The woman nods at me, silent from fear, and I head out of the house, running back to the plaza. There are people in the streets now, civilians and guardsmen alike all running for their lives.

Overhead the frigates loom menacingly, and I barely conceal my anger and frustration. We were doing so well! We had it under control, everything was going to be fine. The plaza's ahead of me now. I try to ignore the bodies of dead guardsmen and civilians around us as I near the plaza.

The transports are loading up ahead of us. I can't even count the number of people I see loaded up into them. Bruck is pinned down with the other guardsmen, taking cover behind broken statues and benches as the few pirates not onboard their transports fire cover.

My lightsaber activates, and I'm immediately leaping into the air. The sound of my saber draws the attention of every pirate, and I feel the blasterfire before it nears me. I'm already deflecting, redirecting shots back into the pirates I can hit.

I see Captain Tahlee below us. The man is trying to retreat to the transport, and I make sure to redirect a shot into his knee. He cries out in pain and falls to the ground. The Transports are shutting their doors and beginning to lift off. I can see their engines brightening as they begin their ascent into the sky.

The few pirates left on the ground cry out for their comrades to come back, but it's too late now, no one's saving them from us. Taking them down is a matter of minimal effort. I don't even have to look at them to deflect shots back into them.

My eyes are locked skywards, at the fleeing transports. I don't know how many people they got on those ships before they left. Jekar has a population of millions, transports that big. They could easily have thousands of innocent civilians captured on them. Taken away to be sold as slaves in Hutt Space or some other disreputable part of the galaxy.

"How's it feel Jedi, you failed." I turn to kick Captain Tahlee in the groin, and he screams in pain. Asshole, I want to hurt him, but I need him alive right now. He needs to be interrogated.

"Where are they taking them? Tell me and I'll see your sentence lessened." He smirks, and I force down my anger but only barely.

"The Hutts have their ways, you can't stand against them, no one can." The Hutts? But the Dervish said Black Sun? It doesn't make sense.

"Your assassin friend said Black Sun, now you're telling me it's the Hutts?" He outright laughs now, testing my already stretched-thin patience.

"Hutts, Black Sun, at this point, names don't really matter anymore. Arrest me, I'll be out and free within a month." We'll see about that, and he's right about one thing. I don't care if it's the Hutts or Black Sun, justice will be done for this. Black Sun can go first. I'll get started on them as soon as I can.

Bruck rushes up to me, blaster trained on Tahlee, and I watch a number of guardsmen follow cautiously.

"Bruck, get in contact with Captain Daneb and Master Fay we need to start on relief efforts across the city." Already the frigates are ascending into orbit, soon to be gone from this world. But this isn't over.

I haven't forgotten, nor will I forgive.


	49. Interlude XIV

36BBY Bespin, four days post raid on Javin.

Master Djinn Altis sat at the center of the auditorium the Altisian Jedi had taken to using for larger conclaves of members. It'd taken a couple of days, but he'd managed to organize a gathering of Altisians to discuss the matter he had for them.

Viera Sarat's suggestion had been unorthodox but clever in a way he had never really given much thought too. Though, to be fair he'd not known of the Matukai's ability to strengthen one's connection to the Force. Over a hundred years he'd been a Jedi, and still, he seemed to learn new things every day.

He'd chatted with his students and fellows—talked about their lives, things they'd been involved with, and the state of their families—before he got to the point of the assembly. He'd discussed the meeting from beginning to end and included the suggestion she'd made.

The results were somewhat predictable. He'd had time to think over it himself and had come to many of the same realization his fellows had.

"Could we even handle the number of students you're suggesting? Even if the tiniest fraction of the Miraluka population took advantage of this opportunity and decided to become Jedi. That would be thousands of prospects. We have so many commitments across the galaxy." Master Varik said slowly, leaning back in his seat and shaking his head.

He wasn't wrong, There were about two hundred Altisian Jedi, even fewer that he would consider able to teach students. They would have to admit only a select few to train before they could even consider taking more.

That would require years of investment, training, funding, and effort that Altis didn't know if theyhad available. But the potential there was enticing, to eventually become a significant presence in Jedi politics. To show an alternate path besides rigid isolation. It was all he ever wanted.

"We can spare a few knights at least. Give me five or six knights and I could open a small chapter house on Alpheridies." Master Mereel gestured around the room, and a few voices scattered throughout the crowd agreed with her.

"And then what? In a few decades we have hundreds of Miraluka Jedi outnumbering us. Are we still the Altisian Jedi then? What would that mean for our community? We're basically discussing how to destroy this community we've created over the next hundred years." Altis sighed and took a sip from his water. That was yet another thing to consider. This community, the Altisian Jedi, he'd spent years teaching them, watching them create families of their own. Some of their children had grown old enough to teach as well. There was a sense of community, of clan, that made them closer. Introducing so many new faces, new personalities, even if they integrated easily, would change their community. It was natural, but for a time there would be that underlying tension as everyone adapted.

It would be only natural for disagreements to break out among them, and what happened as a result could not be predicted. Still, he thought it would work out. It would take time and effort, but the end result would allow them to accomplish more.

He could see where Varik was coming from though. He was more than willing to accept any student who had the potential and wished to learn the ways of the Jedi. It was among the myriad of issues he'd had disagreements with the Order over. Altis had discovered numerous Force sensitives in the Outer Rim that had gone overlooked by the Jedi due to a number of factors.

Each of those Force sensitives would never have been trained by the mainline Order due to their restrictions. To Altis that was terribly unfair to those people who could easily become Jedi given time, and terribly hypocritical.

He still remembered the Jedi stance that an infant's Force sensitivity was 'consent' to become a Jedi. He'd gotten into more than one heated debate over that bit of orthodoxy. That they also believed that Force-sensitives deserved the best training available but refused to take older students unless they passed a series of demanding requirements was a testament to how blind they'd become.

But following this to its logical conclusion, the Altisian Jedi would very quickly become an Order of Miraluka Jedi; they would dominate their group in every way imaginable.

"And what of it? Would these new Miraluka Jedi be less altruistic? Less inclined to help people in need across the galaxy? If not then the ethos of the Altisian Jedi will remain and continue into the future. And as we spread out, we can find more students we've overlooked in the Rim. This isn't a change that will be immediate. And more likely than not, many of these Miraluka will join the Luka Sene over us." Master Mereel was obviously the most ardent supporter of investing and maybe she was right?

"Master Altis, you taught us to trust in the Force, and that you didn't need a lifetime of training and emotional detachment to be a good Jedi, to aid those who needed it. Isn't this just an extension of that? There are doubtless many of those Miraluka who would jump at the chance to be a Jedi. What will leaving them to be denied and turned back by the Order accomplish?" Mereel looked at him and he chuckled, using his own words against him, how devious.

"And how are we going to fund such an expansion? The facilities we'd need, housing, transportation? Lightsaber parts as well, they aren't cheap, how do you propose we pay for that and maintain independence from local governments?" Varik sighed and leaned forward in his seat. Altis sympathized, even for 200 Jedi, managing accounts and expenses was a considerable effort. Two thousand Jedi or more? He'd need a team of personal assistants just to manage it all.

"We make do with what we can, and if we go slowly then it won't be an issue for a few years. That's plenty of time to come up with a plan. If nothing else, there are probably plenty of planets in the Rim that would be willing to arrange deals in exchange for setting up small chapter houses on their planets." That was the wrong thing to say. Varik stood up quickly, hand slamming down onto the table in front of him.

"And how long before we become dependent on those planets? Then it's just a matter of time before we're serving their interests as opposed to the Force. At that point we'll be no better than the mainline Order, leashed by the Senate from helping wherever we can." Varik had been just a young padawan when Altis made his official break with the Order. He had championed Djinn's cause for decades, and had advocated for independent operation the entire time. The very idea of the Altisian Jedi becoming chained to governmental interests was anathema to him.

"If we're helping Outer Rim planets who need it then we're still doing what we set out to do. That's still a victory for us and for the Galaxy as a whole." Mereel countered, she was a newer Master. Djinn had met her on Mirial as a young girl, orphaned and in a crowded system, overlooked by the Order. Altis had seen her potential and after a bit of work, had taken her under his wing. She had never forgotten that and was just the type to champion a cause like this.

Still, this argument had been going back and forth for a while. Djinn Altis stood up and raised his hands for silence. It took a few minutes for the room to quiet as he looked at Varik and Mereel.

"You're right Mereel, but Varik has a point, we can't just rush into this. It's not as easy as you're suggesting." He raised a hand to forestall her comments. She was fiery and committed; he couldn't blame her.

"However, if you are up for it, I believe that it wouldn't be too difficult to go with your own suggestion. Find five knights who are willing and see if you can't establish a chapter house on Alpheridies to begin training students. We'll see how things develop and give everyone time to think about it before committing to anything more." Mereel nodded and looked around the room. A dozen hands were raised to volunteer, and she pointed quickly to a few of them. Varik turned to him and shook his head slowly.

"I'll follow your wisdom Master Altis, I just hope you know what you're doing." Too true and Altis sighed, looking to the Force for insight and finding it clouded.

"I hope so too, Varik, I believe this is for the best though." They'd find out soon enough though, for better or for worse.


	50. Interlude XV

36BBY Two weeks post Javin.

The office was brightly lit, furnished with elaborate furniture, ornate rugs, and paintings adorning the wall. At the end sat a desk with an advanced data terminal beside a small crystalline vase. Priceless and unique, it had been a gift from a grateful client, something he'd taken pleasure in showing off to guests.

His fist hit the desk hard enough to make it shake. The throbbing pain brought him back to the moment, and he hissed softly, reaching out to steady the vase before it toppled. The last thing he needed right now was to lose his most treasured possession.

"Fifteen thousand slaves, that was not what was promised to us, Director." The man on the other end of the line looked upset, even as a hologram. The raid had been a success. They'd gotten valuable capital out of it but not enough, not what they had wanted.

"I did what I could, how was I supposed to know that there would be two Jedi there to interfere? They ruined the operation!" Laughter came from the second hologram, and he stared balefully at the human on the other end.

"If you had been smart, you would have doubled the size of the raiding party for safety. But no, you thought those ships to be enough and now you've paid for it. Even better, one of those Jedi caused you plenty of trouble before, am I right?" If looks could kill, the man on the other end of the hologram would be dead. It was only his terrifying companion that protected him.

Just being reminded of it stoked the rising fury in his body. Yes, Viera Sarat, he'd gone through the effort to figure out who had been responsible for the loss of the facilities and personnel on Dioll and Terminus. It had taken recovered security footage, bribes, and espionage, but he'd managed to gain access to records from the Judicial Department.

From there he'd gotten the names of the Jedi involved. Revenge had been considered, but it seemed pointless to waste money on killing a Master-Padawan pair that seemed to have stumbled upon one of their operations by accident.

Now this? Years later and she pops up again, ruining what would have been a supremely profitable operation. This, this could not be allowed to stand.

"Regardless Director, you promised us nearly thirty thousand slaves and instead we have a fraction of it. If this continues we will have no choice but to cut you from our collective." The gnawing in his gut returned; they couldn't! Without this he would have nothing.

"What do you expect me to do? Slave raids like these are becoming less practical. We need to move to smaller scale kidnapping operations, as I have repeatedly suggested." How could they not understand? The ROSF's expanding influence was making the sort of mass slave raids of the past more and more difficult.

But moving to his suggestion would drastically limit the number of slaves they brought in on a yearly basis; kidnappings took time and required specialized agents to pull off. The Hutts and other rich clientele who made massive use of slave populations didn't like that. Which meant his business partners didn't like it.

"Our buyers don't care about necessity, there is a profit to be made and invaluable business relationships to maintain. We expect better from you, and if not, then perhaps I might send an agent to motivate you?" At the edge of the hologram a woman's form appeared briefly, and he closed his eyes. He did not want to meet her, even on friendly terms.

"I-I will do my best to meet your expectations." It was all he could say; there weren't any other options. Failure meant a loss of everything he'd worked to achieve: all his wealth, his power, gone.

"Good, as long as we're clear Director. Now, continue our operations on Yetoom Na Uun, our contact in House Elegin will facilitate the sale and distribution of the fifteen thousand slaves you acquired." The Ancient Houses of the Senex Sector had previously bought outside slaves from the Hutts and cartels of the Rim. The loss of so many cartels and pirate groups had left a demand for slaves in that sector. A demand he had stepped in to fill, with the help of some investors. It had saved him and the Central Planning Committee from bankruptcy.

Twilek's had been popular on that particular market until Ryloth had militarized and made raiding them impossible. They still brought in Twileks living on other worlds but compared to before? No, that particular market was dying.

It was falling apart again, all his work and effort. The little empire he'd built for himself was on shaky ground again, and the same people were the cause. This wouldn't be allowed to stand. Everything he worked for would be achieved, one way or another, but first, he wanted his vengeance. He wanted payback, that those who stood in his path suffered for it.

He couldn't do anything against the ROSF. He didn't have near enough power for that, but he had wealth. He could make Viera Sarat suffer for interfering in his business. He pressed a button on his desk, and a chime rang out in the small office. A woman entered, bowing as she did.

"You summoned me, sir?" He grabbed a datapad from one of his desk drawers and began filling out the necessary forms.

"Yes, take this datapad to Vaghn, tell him to send it off to Nar Shaddaa. I'm posting a bounty and I want it brought to the Guild's attention as soon as possible." She took the datapad, bowed, and exited the office. He took a deep breath and reached for the bottle of whiskey he saved for special occasions.

He couldn't go after the Jedi himself. He had no illusions about himself or his men, but he had no issue posting a bounty and letting the various hunters throw themselves at her. Whether they managed to bring her in dead or alive, he would have his revenge.


	51. Interlude XVI

36BBY Eshan: Four Weeks post Javin Raid

"Okay, come stand over here lass." I nod silently as Cahira leads me into the back of her small shop. A middle aged woman with short trimmed hair and lithe form, how she birthed so many children I'll never know, but she's proven a kind woman and was very receptive to my request. We made the journey from Javin to Eshan in a quest for armor, both for myself and for Bruck as well.

The best lead we had for the perpetrators of the Raid was the Senex Sector, a dangerous place outside of Republic jurisdiction. With our only lead in such a place, and not wishing to get nerve-jabbed again, I decided we needed some armor first.

The Echani are quite knowledgeable about balancing protection and mobility, and I vaguely remembered Tomas telling me his mother made armor for a living. I figured why not catch up with a friend and give his mother some business along the way?

"It's a pity that Tomas isn't here right now. I've heard a lot about you, but he went off into the Tion Hegemony as a freelancer. He was tracking down some vagabonds near Desevro the last I heard." Huh, I never thought of him as chatty, but maybe he likes talking with his family more. In any event, he's not here right now, and I don't have time to wait.

"Oi, watch the hands!" I hear Bruck in the other room with Cahira's oldest daughter Adan. Echani don't really have the same standards of modesty most humans do, at least not where things like getting measurements are concerned.

"Well, you can tell him I stopped by when you get in touch with him again, I don't have time to stick around." Which is too bad really, I was going to see if he wanted to come along. We could use all the muscle we can get where we're going.

"Yes, a damn shame what happened on Javin. The criminals of the Rim are getting desperate, lashing out wherever they can. The way I see it, Tarkin's got the right of it, and Valorum's new legislation is a step in the right direction." That was a bit surprising to me. In the original timeline, Valorum proposed taxation of the free trade zones for dubious political reasons. Here he's proposing using the proceeds to fund a massive expansion of the Judicial Forces, within the bounds of the Ruusan Reformations of course.

A bit weird, but I guess the pressure of the Militarists and Reform faction is finally getting to him.

Speaking of Javin, things there finally seemed to be getting under control after I left. The bombardment had taken over a million lives, including the entire government complex, which had done nothing for planetary order. It was only thanks to reinforcements from the nearby systems and the ROSF that Javin didn't descend into anarchy.

Master Fay opted to remain on Javin and ensure that nothing went wrong with the recently scheduled elections, while I went off to hunt down the pirates. The Council has approved my request to track them down, though I didn't mention my only lead was outside Republic space.

"With luck they'll be able to prevent further attacks in the region." Cahira lifts up my arms, measuring them carefully before walking over to a counter with a number of tools and other materials.

"Hopefully, but you made it out and prevented more from being taken, take comfort in the small victories I say. It's only in times of conflict that we can truly grow, learn and move forward as we Echani say." I nod slowly. It's not a necessarily wrong philosophy. I'm just not sure what I learned from it yet. Cahira lifts up a thick looking material that I assume to be the underlay for my new armor.

She walks over to me and holds it up to me carefully, examining it closely, before nodding and walking back to her workbench. I can see plates of durasteel and other alloys laid out across the workspace.

"Still, the Senex sector is a dangerous place for just three people, even if they are Force users. The Ancient Houses have strong standing militaries and most places don't let outsiders past the spaceport. You sure you don't want to wait a bit? I'm sure that Tomas will be happy to go with you once I can get in touch with him." I shake my head. It's a nice thought, but I don't want to wait on this.

Fifteen thousand people, carried off as slaves, I know there wasn't anything more I could have done at the time. Objectively I understand that, but I still feel like I failed them. This is my best chance to make things right. If I'm lucky, I might even find some of the people from Javin. I have to take this chance.

Cahira sighs but accepts my reasoning and goes back to her work.

"Alright, I'll tell him where you've gone when I talk to him next, maybe he can catch up to you in Senex." I know better than to tell her not to; she's got this weird insistence that he help me. I mean, I suppose this is a perfect challenge for him to test himself against, more Echani culture I don't really understand.

Finally, she hefts the armor's overlay onto a stand and begins fixing the metal to it. The armor won't be ready for a few days yet, but this will give her a chance to see how it's supposed to look.

"Thank you again, for the armor ma'am, I have a feeling I'll need it where I'm going." She snorts, as if I said something funny.

"Of course you'll need it, you Jedi types don't wear enough armor in my opinion. Sure you can just deflect most attacks but all it'll take is one misstep to end you." It's a bit less dire than that, but I won't deny her point.

"And this armor won't hinder my mobility too much?" That's the real kicker; I need to be mobile and acrobatic for a lot of lightsaber forms to be usable. She nods and pats under her arm.

"You'll be vulnerable at the joints, but there's no helping that, otherwise the armor will hold up well. It'll give you some free hits from blasters, slugthrowers, or even explosives, and that's good enough." I smile and nod in agreement. If it even gives me a few extra hits, then it does the job well.

I reach into my robes for my payment and take out the spare krayt dragon pearl from Er'kit. I'm overpaying her a bit, but for custom high quality armor and putting us up for the time it takes to finish I'm fine with it.

"Miss Cahira!" I toss the pearl her way and she catches it, looking on it with some shock and wonder.

"Lass, you don't have to pay me this much. All this isn't even worth half what this pearl could be worth." I shrug and wave off her concerns. I realized that when I decided to give it to her.

"It's fine, for everything you've done it's worth it to me. Plus I still owe Tomas for helping teach me the Matukai techniques, I figure this is the best way to repay the both of you." She stares for a moment before sighing and pocketing the pearl. It's simply too good of a opportunity to resist. I can only wonder what she could do for her business and family with the extra money. I don't have much use for it.

"Alright, your armor will be done in four days or so, I'll make it my top priority. Let Cliona lead you to my home so you can rest. It sounds like you have a difficult journey ahead of you." I nod and bow politely to excuse myself.

I've got some research to do.


	52. Knight Errant: Chapter Eight

36BBY Nantama

"Freighter Horizon, follow this course and wait your turn to land." The voice on the other end of the line sounds incredibly bored. I can't blame the poor man. I'm looking at easily over a hundred other ships in orbit around Nantama, awaiting clearance to land.

They're mostly freighters and pleasure yachts of various sizes, but I can see a number of warships in defensive orbit around the planet. A Cloakshape fighter flies by the line of civilian ships before breaking off to rejoin its flight.

"Copy, Nantama control, we are complying." Ehruss turns the Horizon towards the coordinates given by the dock authority. Bruck sighs and leans back in the copilot's seat.

"And now we wait, it shouldn't be too long though, Nantama's a popular resort world so they tend to have plenty of room for landing." Yeah yeah, resort worlds, expensive prices for everything in order to squeeze every last drop from the tourists.

"Do you know how much the docking fees are going to be?" We've got the leftover aurodium coins, a sizable amount of money from the pirates who owned the ship before us, and an allowance of credits from the Temple for repairs and other purchases. They even sent us an extra allowance of credits when I told them my plan; go Quartermaster Arcturus, I owe you. This place should take Republic credits, but if not we'll still be good for a bit

"They did not say." Ehruss shakes her head while Bruck thinks for a moment and shrugs.

"I couldn't say, I would imagine it not being too expensive though, especially if we take one of the cheaper landing bays. They don't want to take all of our money at the docking bay, they want us to spend money at their casinos and spas." Sounds about right, but we're not here to enjoy the resorts. No, we're here to try and find a link to an organized crime guild. How exactly we're going to do that, I have only the faintest idea.

"So, what do you know about Senex Sector, Bruck?" He shrugs and leans over the control panel, fiddling with the settings to be more to his liking.

"I know it was founded by some people who thought the Republic to be too centralized." He rolls his eyes, and I would too if I had them. The Galactic Republic Centralized? Maybe in the first few decades after Ruusan but otherwise unlikely. More like some people had delusions of grandeur and wanted more power.

"More or less, no Republic authority here, which means open slavery, mostly nonhumans, and the perfect market for Black Sun and other slaving groups who've been forced out of their usual stomping grounds." Say, if you had fifteen thousand slaves to unload on buyers in need, and you didn't want to go all the way over to the Hutts.

"So what's the plan, do we have a plan?" Bruck asks, and I nod. It's not the best plan, but considering our situation, it's the best we have right now.

"Well, what little information we have suggests Black Sun is operating somewhere in this sector, but we don't know where or to what degree. But Black Sun does a little bit of everything as far as we know. So it would make sense that if they were to sell slaves here, then they would be invested in other criminal dealings here." Bruck shrugs, not really opposing the idea.

"I suppose it would make it easier to ensure you have contacts in the region and deal with any competitors trying to get in." It also allows them to know who needs slaves and where based on economic pressures.

"Right, and this is a resort world, which means luxury casinos, hotels, spas, and more. A place for those with wealth and influence to congregate, so there's even more of a chance that someone connected to Black Sun is here." Or we find some unrelated criminals and stop them. Either way some good is done I suppose.

"Okay, I suppose I could hang out in the casinos, use the Force to conceal myself and see if I can't find out anything important." Huh, that's right. I only noticed him with the Force; unless they have a Force-sensitive down there, he's not likely to be caught.

"Sounds good, I'm going to find the seedier clubs and bars this planet has to offer, see if I can't make myself a target. Young rich people getting drunk and partying make for easy marks for kidnapping. You ransom them back to their parents or sell them into slavery elsewhere. And I'm a nonhuman technically, so I might be an even more appealing target." Bruck doesn't seem to be very convinced, and I shrug.

"I admit, it's not a great plan, but we have time, things don't work out then we move on. This isn't going to be a very quick endeavor Bruck." He sighs, but nods anyways.

"Hunting smaller prey, we might lure out a bigger predator." Ah, that's a good point Ehruss. I imagine that if we're obvious enough we might attract some attention from the bigger fish. The only problem is we might attract the attention of the actual authorities, but it's not like defending ourselves from muggers is a crime right?

"What about your lightsabers? They're a bit of a giveaway aren't they? If people realize a Jedi's on the planet then that might cause Black Sun to go to ground until we leave." A good point, but not something we can't work around.

"I'll leave one of my lightsabers on the ship, but there's a method to disguise a lightsaber as a glowrod. I know we have one on the ship, I'll just modify it and bring it with me." It worked for Mace Windu, I'm sure it can work for me. Beyond that, a bunch of two-bit criminals with at best a holdout blaster or a knife? I could handle them unarmed.

"Alright then, I guess we have a plan. You might want to go work on converting it now. We're going to be here for a while." I nod and excuse myself before heading back to the cargo hold. I know I saw a glowrod in here somewhere.

It takes roughly an hour and a half for a landing zone to open up in the outermost quarter of Nanton. Ehruss guides the ship down into the atmosphere, and I make my way back to the cockpit for entry.

Nantama is by all accounts a beautiful world even colorless. There are rolling plains as far as the eye can see as we approach the city. I can see small herds of animals scattered about, with the occasional speeder leading tourists on sightseeing tours. Trees dot the landscape, but they're sparse, perched atop hills or by flowing streams. Is that natural for this planet or is it actively cultivated to produce the beautiful vistas that attract the tourists? Certainly they would be capable of it, but I'm getting off track I suppose.

Nanton itself is huge, a city spreading for miles and miles across the plains. The buildings range from tall skyrises to smaller local stores, casinos, and hotels scattered about, and what looks like a sports arena of some kind? There are speeders flying everywhere, but I can also see walkways and more traditional streets as well. It looks like there's a pretty substantial maglev train network that connects the various districts. I have vague memories of Tokyo, from my old life, and the comparison seems pretty apt. If that's the case then I expect that the maglev is going to be the best bet for getting around the city.

Our landing zone is in one of the less reputable looking parts of the city, at least as compared to the rest. I imagine it isn't as bad as say Nar Shaddaa, but if I weren't a Jedi, I'd be a bit worried traveling late at night. Ehruss sets the ship down in the hanger, and I can already see the dock authority folks waiting for us.

Alright, let's see how much the docking fee is. Ehruss begins shutdown as Bruck and I head for the ramp. The rep they sent us is human, male, and young by the looks of it. His hair is cropped short, uniform neat and tidy. He regards the two of us casually as we descend, and in the Force I can sense nothing but faked cheer and indifference.

Go us, we've got the experienced employee just going through the motions. As we descend the ramp he steps forward to greet us.

"Welcome to Nanton, honored travelers. On behalf of House Elegin and the city of Nanton, we are glad for your patronage. Your docking bay is on the western edge of the city, in the Tamon quarter of the city. I am here to collect your docking fee and offer suggestions and guidance for any questions you might have." I step forward with my datapad, ready to make the credit transfer.

"Of course, thank you, how much is the docking fee?" He holds out his datapad, and I move mine over his. The transfer of monetary information is quick, and a number of holographic options appear on my screen.

"Well, Madam, it is two thousand credits for a week long stay, four thousand for two weeks, and a special five thousand credit fee if you stay a month." Okay, how long do they expect people to stay in these resorts? That's not too bad an offer though, the extra money given by the Council, plus all of our money means it's easily affordable.

"I'll take the two week permit." I press the button and congratulations, I've just billed four thousand credits to the Temple. The man smiles and nods, pocketing his datapad and pulling a number of datacards from his suit pocket.

"Thank you very much, these datacards provide free maps of the city and planet alongside a guide to local laws that you might find useful. Please, enjoy your stay and if you have any questions, consult one of the local magistrate offices." He bows and heads on his way, leaving us to our own devices.

"It's early afternoon, so we've got some time before dark, might as well scout out the city for a bit." Bruck nods, and Ehruss joins us at the bottom of the ramp. We close up the ship and make our way out of the hangar.

As soon as we leave the hanger it's like a bombardment of scents and sounds as thousands of sentients move around in such a small space. There's a darker turn to it as I look around; most of the tourists seem to be human or near enough to be hardly distinguishable. All the workers, the menial ones at least, are alien. I see Aqualish, Twilek, Bith, Wookiee, Quarren, Togorian and more.

And none of them look pleased. Through the Force it's like seeing the extremes of happiness and misery everywhere I look. How many are slaves, and how many are second class citizens and workers?

Beyond that, there are stalls and vendors set up all over the place, hawking wares ranging from food and drinks to little trinkets, bits of jewelry, and clothing. Mostly humans, but I can spot a little Togruta girl offering little carved amulets. She's not getting much business though.

The streets around us are made of paved stone, beautifully set and decorated with patches of trees and flowers spaced appropriately. Smaller alleys and sidestreets lay off the beaten path. They're notably avoided for the most part, and the people I see heading that way don't look like the kind of people you'd want to hang out with. In the distance I can see what looks like the Mag-lev station, if the trains leaving are any indication.

Where are the casinos located? I check the map provided by the dock attendant. Okay, we're in Tamon, and the casinos are located in the… Elegin quarter. That's awfully narcissistic of them, but perhaps unsurprising all things considered.

"Crowds, backalleys, rich, stupid people everywhere, I'd hold onto your credits carefully. I imagine there are pickpockets everywhere." Bruck looks around carefully, but as we merge into the flowing crowds I note that he seems pretty comfortable in the crowd. If I didn't know him, I'd say he blends in well. Ehruss sniffs at the air and turns her head to regard the passerby.

"I can smell fear, many people are afraid here." I sense it too. It's not a pleasant feeling, and not likely to get any better. Certainly none of the tourists seem afraid. The contrast of joy and sadness is disturbing though.

As we pass by the stalls I studiously avoid the people calling out to me, hawking their wares, and crouch down next to the Togruta girl. She doesn't even have a stall, just a little collection of hand carved wooden amulets. She looks up at me with some suspicion, and the slightest hint of hope. I'm not one for jewelry, never have been, but I'll make an exception for her. I have some credits in my pocket, and I glance down at her wares for only a moment.

"How much for that one right there?" I point to what looks like a carved amulet in the shape of a nerf. She picks it up and holds it out towards me. She can't be any older than ten, and that's being generous.

"Twenty credits, ma'am." That's honestly a bit cheap for a place like this and the obvious effort put into the work. How many customers does she get in a day I wonder. I pull out a handful of credits and lay them down in her hand. Taking the amulet, I put it around my neck and smile down at her.

"Good day to you child." I excuse myself and leave quickly with the others. The girl doesn't reply, too busy staring at the 100 credits I handed her. I can't help it; I like doing good things when I can.

I'd consider taking her with me, her family too if she has them, but I'm not leaving this sector for a bit. Taking them along with me would also put them in unnecessary danger. But I can do this, if nothing else, and that's what matters to me.

"That was kind of you." Bruck seems to appreciate my efforts as he falls into step beside me. Out of all of us, he looks the most like he belongs here. His family is from wealth, and it shows in how he presents himself.

"I would do more if I could, give me wealth and I'll be the best philanthropist in the galaxy." A bit ambitious, but I don't really need much right now. I could afford to give out more money than most might.

"Weakening Black Sun will help her and others like her, you've made her day regardless." I nod slowly as we enter the station. There's lines everywhere as people make their way to the Maglev. According to the map, if we want to go to the Elegin then we need to head… to the right. Okay, so we get in line behind a… modestly overweight human woman. I'm having flashbacks to something, not sure exactly what anymore. I remember when Jedi robes and a lightsaber got me freebies.

I'm not wearing those anymore, my robe is simple cloth, big enough to cover my armor and hide my lightsaber, and I imagine being near-human only makes me slightly less scum to some of these people.

The next twenty minutes is an exercise in patience. Mental exercises, moving meditation, brief chats with Bruck or Ehruss about mundane topics. All the while doing my best to observe the people around me.

I've come to notice that unless people are concealing it very well, I can 'see' hostility in a person's aura. Separating violent hostility from general dislike is trickier, and thieves and other sorts have a different sense entirely, but I can usually tell when someone is leaning towards volatile.

I don't see much hostility here. There's a general sense of annoyance at the waiting, brief moments of unhappiness. The aliens running the counters, handling complaints, are more depressed than angry, and the few people I can see actively hostile are angrily talking to official looking folks over one thing or another.

Nothing really stands out to me, aside from the occasional look of distaste from those humans smart enough to recognize me as a near-human. I suppose the rest think I'm just a blind human, heh advantages of my people not being as well known. Ehruss is getting plenty of glances though, but it doesn't seem to bother her.

Why should she care about the opinion of soft, fleshy humans with no durability?

In any event we're able to get onto the maglev with little difficulty. Travel seems to be free here, which is great. With how much they're charging us for everything else, they might as well allow us to travel around freely, so we can spend our money elsewhere.

This is perhaps the most mundane, normal thing I've done in a long time, just sitting on a train with a bunch of other people. Everyone's ignoring me for the most part. I'm watching buildings pass in the windows. Everything is just so normal, so… casual. I like it, nice change of pace really.

"So, how's Obi-Wan doing?" I turn to Bruck, and he's not looking at me. There's a tenseness in his aura, a sense of unease. I shrug.

"He's doing fine, last I heard he was working with Qui-Gon in the Core, he's probably not far from his Knighthood." I don't know exactly what he's doing, but I'm sure he's fine. Bruck nods slowly.

"I'm glad to hear that… I don't know what I'd say to him if I were to see him again. I was so cruel to him back then, and what I did that day in the Room of a Thousand Fountains, I can't imagine anyone forgiving me for." I resist the desire to shrug. I don't want to seem callous, but considering some of the things that people have been forgiven and redeemed for in the Star Wars universe, he's minor.

"I already have, I'm confident he will as well. It's not like you actually succeeded, and after helping deal a blow to Black Sun, no one could deny your efforts at redemption." And if they do, then they're not worth worrying about.

"Maybe, your reassurance is appreciated regardless." We fall into silence for the rest of the ride. Getting off the train is as much a pain as getting onto it. I dislike crowds; I dislike them a lot. But we're in Elegin. The casinos are nearby, and it's not even dark yet. I count that as a victory for us.

This quarter of the city is much nicer than where we landed. The people here are dressed in fine clothing. There are no street vendors and stalls. Instead, there are what look to be department store style shops and lavishly decorated restaurants. The streets are polished, and I feel massively underdressed. Yep, this is the place we need to be.

"Alright, so any plan for what casino to check out first?" No idea, that's Bruck's strategy, not ours.

"Whatever you want to do Bruck, it's your idea. Go where you feel is best. Take your time and be thorough." He nods and looks around the plaza we've found, pointing to the casino across the plaza.

"There, the Bright Star, I'll start investigating there. I'll meet you later tonight then." I nod, and he walks across the plaza. He passes beyond a tree, and then he's gone.

Okay, so if we're lucky, sometime over the next week or so he'll hear something in the private rooms that we can use. It's not a very quick method, but it's a start. If we find nothing, then we move on to another planet, simple as that.

I go back to my datapad and look over the city map for a moment, smiling as I find what I'm looking for. I turn to Ehruss as I pocket the datapad.

"Say, Ehruss, if you were a kidnapper, where would you go for potential targets? Young, enticing targets, to be precise." She thinks and looks down at me for a moment.

"On a planet such as this… the bar, I would imagine." I grin and head down the street. It's a long walk, but it'll be just dark by the time we get there so it works out.

"Indeed, Ehruss, let's go to the bar."


	53. Knight Errant: Chapter Nine

36BBY Nantama.

Ehruss and I make our way down streets of polished stone, through crowds of poshly dressed humans. It's not that difficult, as Ehruss's mere presence seems to serve as a deterrent to anyone in our way.

Whether from disgust, fear, or some combination of both, no one wants to be too close to us. Ehruss doesn't mind, so neither do I; my mind is elsewhere anyways. I've been trying to remember my meta-knowledge about Black Sun, and I can't do it.

Even with the Force enhancing it, my memory is only so good. I wrote down a number of important things, critical events and locations. But a lot of things, I just had no reason to try and remember them.

I know Black Sun gets fucked over by Maul at some point… I just don't know when. He killed the main leaders of the cartel, but I don't remember who or why. I feel like there's something at the farthest edge of my mind; I'm so close to grasping it, but it keeps slipping away.

I really hope it's nothing important, but I know it is—my luck never extends that far. I mean, Maul clearly survived, so it couldn't have been something like super deadly. Though I couldn't say how I'd stack up against Maul considering I've never fought him.

Is Naboo even going to happen here? Naboo joined the ROSF. If the Trade Federation blockaded it, they'd have a massive fleet coming after them. Palpatine needs something to get him into the Chancellorship, but a blockade of Naboo doesn't seem likely to work.

"So, this nightclub we're going to, it's pretty far off the beaten path. I'm hoping that being farther away from everything else will make it more popular for criminal types." The plan is becoming a bit more elaborate the more I think about it. I've got some new ideas about how to do it.

"How will we find these people. They will not be open about their affiliations." That's a fair point, but I'm not thinking of asking them; I've got some ideas. If this doesn't work, then the markets will be our next place to go. They sell slaves here, so we might get lucky and get some hints there if this doesn't work.

"If I focus on it, I can sense a person's alignment with the Force, whether they tend towards the Dark or the Light. If I try harder, I can get emotions and feelings, we'll look for those people tending toward the Dark and go from there." Either I'll draw their attention and lure them out, or I can find a promising target and investigate them a bit further. I'm fine with beating down random criminal types as well as Black Sun.

Eventually someone is going to know something I can use. Though if I'm honest with myself, what's going to happen is, I'm going to beat up criminals, and only attract the attention of the authorities.

It's the only place I have to start right now. At worst, I waste a week or so here until I come up with a better plan. I don't suppose we could go back to Terminus? There's so many criminals there I'd be bound to stumble onto Black Sun eventually.

The further away from the center of the city we go, the worse everything seems to get. There's no slums level of disrepair—the need to maintain appearances remains, but the crowds get thinner, and the people get shadier looking. More people have hidden weapons, and I can feel eyes following me as I go.

Ehruss seems to be turning plenty of them away. I'll probably need to have Ehruss wait and come in after me. I don't need her scaring away wannabe criminals from me, that would go against the point of this entire endeavor.

"Grashkowh, once we have completed this hunt, I would ask a favor from you." What now? I turn to face Ehruss as we walk. She doesn't really have facial expressions like humans do, but I've come to recognize some of hers. She seems nervous… no that isn't the right word, anxious maybe?

"Of course Ehruss, no favors required, what's up?" Companion quest, is this her companion quest?

"I would like to go to Trandosha, vengeance must be had. I must regain the favor of the Scorekeeper. We are going against more dangerous enemies, I do not wish to put myself at risk without redeeming myself in the eyes of the Scorekeeper." Oh, right. One of her kinsmen betrayed and sold her into slavery. Alright, I see nothing wrong with helping her bring him to justice. If her kinsman is still alive, then he's probably the type of person I'd be working against anyways.

"Sure thing, as soon as we have the chance, we'll head that way and try to track down the person who betrayed you. You're my friend, no favors required." Ehruss nods and hisses softly, pleased with my answer. I wonder if there'll be time to visit Kashyyyk while we're there. Probably not, and I doubt Ehruss would be welcome, but something to consider I suppose.

The club we're going to is called the Pearl of Nanton, and it does not match up to that name in my opinion. Even without color, the whole thing is so gaudy I can't imagine why it's got the decently sizable crowd it does.

There's a line of people—mostly humans—standing outside, filing in slowly as a bartender lets them in one after another. There are various men and women, human and near-human, walking the streets dressed very provocatively… are those prostitutes? I'm honestly not surprised to find it legal here. It would make no damn sense for them to be fine with slavery but not prostitution. Unless they're slaves as well, I'm hesitant to ask for obvious reasons.

Okay, I stop and turn to Ehruss; she can't go in with me. If there's anyone inside looking for a target, they'll understandably hesitate if they see such an intimidating Trandoshan with me. I don't want that. I want to lure out the bad people.

"Ehruss, let me go in alone, give me twenty minutes and come in after me. Find yourself a good vantage point and wait." She nods her head, and I head for the line to get inside. The person I get behind in the line gives no notice of me, and now I wait.

It's another ten minutes before I get inside, and once done, I take a good look around. This place is surprisingly big; I see two whole floors, a dance area in the middle. There are small tables and counters scattered around the dance floor, and employees are walking between them with trays of alcoholic beverages.

Some patrons congregated around the dance floor and by miniature stages where dancers are working to entertain the crowds, while other patrons seem content by the various bars. I don't know what's on the second floor, but I feel like down here on the first floor is where I'll have the best luck.

I fall into the Force and focus on my surroundings as I make my way towards the central bar. The bartender there is… I can't say for certain. The Force swirls angrily around him, and he looks… somewhat dark, but that could be for any number of reasons.

It's a good enough place to start. I need to start buying drinks anyways, expensive ones. A young girl, buying expensive and highly alcoholic drinks? That's an easy target if anyone saw one right? Especially if she comes back multiple nights to do so.

I take an empty seat at the bar and flag down the bartender. He's human with thinning hair and a short, focused gaze. He heads my way. There's still a lurking darkness around him in the Force. I wonder about that, but I imagine he has plenty of reasons to be angry with this job at times. For all I know he's had a rough night and is just frustrated

"Welcome ma'am, what can I get you tonight?" He certainly sounds pleasant enough, but he's a bartender, that's what he's supposed to do. I've had a minute to glance at the menu and find the most expensive drink I can.

"I'll take a Corellian Reserve." He's surprised. His aura in the Force flares briefly, and he reaches under the counter for the drink. He's looking at me more carefully now. I've certainly showed him a bit of wealth. Corellian Reserve is a pricey brandy, certainly for someplace like this.

"That's a bit pricey isn't it miss? You sure you've got the creds for that?" I pull some credits from my robe, thank you Temple Quartermaster, and set them down before the man. He looks at them, then to me, and shrugs.

"Alright, you're the customer." He sets the bottle down in front of me and gives me a small shot glass. Hells yeah, go brandy. This is the best part of this plan. I get to drink and pretend to be outrageously drunk and frivolous without any of the normal consequences.

I pour some brandy into the shot glass and down it in one go. It burns a little going down, but it's a bit fruity as well. I like it, there's a good taste too it. The bartender eyes me for a moment before returning to his other customers.

Alright, now that I've done that, let's see what's going on in the rest of the club. The Force isn't really warning me of any danger, but that's not surprising yet. Okay, so let's see if I can't find the people here who aren't partying or drinking.

There's a Shistavanen in the far corner, but he doesn't feel off, and judging by the impressions I get from him, he's amused watching the people around him. Nothing… too odd there, so leave him be.

There's a human woman, with short cropped hair, leaning over the balcony above us. There's a drink in her hand, but her eyes are sharp, focused on the crowd below her. Is she armed… yes, she is armed; there's a blaster on her waist.

She's probably club security though, by the look of her. She's still a possibility I guess, but I don't sense anything off about her; chalk her down for a maybe. Beyond that, I don't see anyone right now.

Ah well, I've got time. This place doesn't close till around two in the morning, so that's an easy five hours or so. Might as well get myself well and drunk before then. So, what am I expecting to achieve from this entire endeavor?

Realistically, actually destroying Black Sun is unlikely; they're spread out enough that they could go to ground completely and wait for the heat to die down. But if I could hit a Black Sun Vigo? That would be a good goal to strive for, damage their operations and hopefully find leads to pass on to other investigators.

I wonder what Inyri's up to? Is she still a Sector Ranger? I could maybe look into passing on the information I get to her and see what she can do with it, or maybe the ROSF could make more use of the information. They've certainly got the manpower to take the initiative on anything I get.

Time passes, and I notice Ehruss enter the club. I raise my brandy as her gaze turns towards me and give it a quick shake before pouring myself some more. Okay, she knows I've spotted her. She's heading towards another bar, and I go back to my own observations.

New people are filling up the club and with them new interesting folks. There's a human man who entered the club and immediately went for one of the far corners. He's got a pretty good vantage point from where he's sitting and ooh the way the Dark Side swirls around him. He's not sensitive to it, but his aura is attuned to it.

He looks my way, and his gaze stops on me. Oh, do you see something interesting sir? He breaks his gaze to look around the club, but that first bit was pretty telling. I have a feeling you're going to give me something tonight. It remains to be seen exactly what.

I take a moment to purge the alcohol from my body and continue. This could be a long night, but Force knows I'm not going to miss the excuse for a good drink and a nice beat. The music's pretty nice actually, sort of jazzy with electronic elements added in.

I can barely hear any conversation more than a few feet away from me, so that's out. I get the feeling though that no one's saying anything worth listening in on. None of them would talk about sensitive stuff in a crowded nightclub right?

Something rings in the back of my mind, the Force? I look around curiously; there's danger, but where? I don't see anything inside the club. There are people outside. but none of them seem heavily armed enough to warrant any danger. Unless we're about to be bombarded from orbit, in which case I'm dead, and there's nothing that'll change that.

Danger for the future? Possibly, in which case that's not as helpful as I'd like. It could be danger a few hours from now, or days. Alright, in any case I'm going to just be on guard for a bit.

Evil guy in the corner has made sure to watch everyone, but the way his gaze keeps coming back to me is telling. He's got a knife in his pocket, that won't cause me any harm, but I suppose the club wouldn't let him bring in a blaster? Either way, he's totally watching me like a hawk.

Let's test it a little. I've been wondering what's on the second floor of the club, and I intend to find out. I push off the bar, finishing the last of the brandy and tossing a decent enough tip for the bartender, before heading for the stairs.

As soon as I move, I get the feeling of someone following me, and yep it's the guy. He's keeping a very safe distance, but he's making sure I'm in his sight at all times. He doesn't follow me up the stairs, but he's at a perfect position to see me when I come back down.

Come into my parlour, said the spider to the fly. I have so many fun things to show you. I just hope you're not small fry, but you've done a pretty good job of not being obvious about your focus on me. I just have the Force and a style of vision that allows me to observe you without anyone the wiser.

The top floor seems similar enough to the first, except there are additional tables and counters compared to downstairs. There are people crowded around them and playing various games. Is that Dejarik? Oh they have Dejarik tables here, neato.

Okay, so there isn't much for me to do here I guess. I'd love to play one of these games, but I still have an objective here. I think it's time to leave the club and see if my new friend follows me outside. Ehruss knows to not follow me too closely. I think there's probably an alley nearby I could pretend to drunkenly stumble down.

My comlink beeps, and I answer it. He can't see me; I feel no reason to hide anything right now.

"Grashkowh, you have someone following you." Oh, Ehruss, I know that, but thank you anyways.

"I know, I'm not sure why he's following me yet, but I hope he'll lead me to someone more important. There's a dark feeling to him, not sure what it means yet, but I feel like he's not after anything good." I'm not sure yet, but I intend to find out.

"Could he not be merely interested in sexual relations? You are not unappealing by human standards." Why thank you for the compliment Ehruss. It's unlikely though, just by the way he feels in the Force. I can sense intent, to some degree, and he doesn't seem interested in my body.

"Unless he's planning to try and take it by force I feel that's unlikely, but I'll head out of the club and see if he follows. Give me a few minutes before you follow. We don't want to spook him." I turn and head back for the stairs, nothing really left for me up here.

As soon as I come back to the first floor his eyes are on me. Okay, but will he follow me out the door. I make my way for the club entrance.

Okay, head for the door, he's still following me. Ehruss will shadow me eventually, but he's armed with a knife. If I can't take him, then I deserve whatever happens to me. The night air is crisp and relatively cool as I leave and take a quick look around. There's a narrow alley to the right. Okay, that should be far enough away to make this guy confident enough to try something.

One of the… streetwalkers winks at me, and I avoid her gaze. Okay, I don't need any of that right now. The guy has exited the club and follows me slowly. He's sticking as close to other people as he can, to make it look like he's not following me maybe?

The alley is empty, awesome, and I try to drunkenly stumble down it, turning to face the building wall, crouching down as if to throw up. He's rounded the corner, and he's picking up speed now. The knife is pulled from his jacket, and he stops about two foot away from me, knife pointed at my back.

"Hand over your credits or I swear you'll get it." Credits… what! Really, this is about credits? Goddamnit! I wasted all that time for a fucking mugger. It figures I guess; I'm not lucky enough to get someone good immediately.

"Really man, you're trying to mug me? I expected so much better from you." I mean, at least I got to have a good drink while I was waiting, but seriously, I'm so disappointed.

"Wha? Just give me your money bitch, and I won't stab you." He doesn't get it. He was so restrained and focused inside, and now he's just gone and proved himself stupid.

"I'll let you know, I'm wearing body armor under this." The knife in his hand shakes a bit, and he steps back. Oh now that you know I have armor you're hesitant. Typical, but this guy might have some information on other local criminals.

I figure, I'll scare/beat some information out of him, and he'll hopefully think to sell me out to the bigger criminals for a profit. Those bigger criminals might then decide to deal with me themselves, and then I'll have something.

"Okay, so why don't you drop the knife, answer some questions and I'll let you go?" He shakes a little bit, but his aura is faltering. I've got him now.

A blaster shot rings out and strikes him in the back. He falls forward to the ground, dead on the spot, and I tense. Who did that? I look down the alley and pause, resisting the urge to reach for my lightsaber.

The little Togruta girl comes running down the alley towards me. There's a holdout blaster in her hands, what the hell? Okay, so I'm guessing she isn't coming to mug me herself, if her shooting the actual mugger is anything to go by.

"Okay, seriously where'd you get a blaster?" she stops in front of me, stepping around the body of the mugger, and looks up at me then at him.

"He's been following you all day, I wanted to save you." He was, huh how odd. Sweet of her I guess, but she kinda ruined my plan to catch him. She also didn't answer my question.

"Where'd you get the blaster kid?" There's no danger from her. I can sense that easily enough, is anyone heading this way? Just Ehruss, but that's expected, a bit worrying that none of the locals seem to be reacting to this.

"It's mine, I need it to protect myself." Okay, that's fair I guess and tells me more than I'd have liked. So one opportunity closed, and another seems to have opened.

"So, that guy's been following me you said?" She nods and looks around carefully before putting the blaster back into her shirt pocket.

"Yeah, he saw you tip me earlier, and he's been following you ever since. I noticed and decided to try and help." Okay, so that bit of charity did attract some attention then, and apparently it attracted the kind of attention I wanted.

"Okay, so you know the dangerous people around here? I'm looking for some very bad folks, there's credits in it if you tell me." She frowns up at me and looks me up and down for a moment.

"What? Are you some kind of security officer, no that's impossible, they don't hire non-humans." Okay, that tells me a lot. I shake my head.

"No, I'm not police, but I am interested in catching some very bad people. You could help me if you want, I'll pay for the help." Ehruss rounds the corner, and she spins to face her. I place a hand on her shoulder and watch as she flinches at my touch.

"Don't worry, Ehruss is with me, she's no danger to you." Ehruss approaches and hisses softly at the body.

"What now, Grashkowh?" I shrug and look down at the body of the mugger. I'd have liked to manipulate him into getting the attention of some bigger fish, but that plan's gone now.

"Alright kid, how about this, six hundred for you to come with me back to my ship and tell me everything you know about the more criminal elements on this planet." She looks shocked, and delighted, at the prospect of credits. Okay, that's good; she wants cash, and I have plenty to give her for the right information. I'm reasonably confident she won't betray us for money.

"Twenty-five hundred and you've got a deal, and the name's Aladaa Daalaan, not kid." Fair enough, I nod and head back towards the street, only to pause as Aladaa tugs on my robe.

"Not that way, there are cameras covering that entrance to the alley. If security sees you coming out of it, they'll use it as evidence to take you in. Follow me, the camera on the other end of the alley is broken." I nod, and we follow her out of the alley and begin the long trek back to our ship.

"So, Aladaa, does your family know you're out here this late at night, armed to the teeth?" I have a feeling I know the answer to this question, but I feel like I have to know to be sure. The girl shrugs as we walk.

"Dead, missing, enslaved somewhere? I don't know, I stopped looking a while ago." As a non-human on a very humanocentric world, I imagine how that goes. Not particularly well.

"And you make a living selling hand-carved trinkets? Why not try to use the money you earn to buy passage off of Nantama." She scoffs at the thought and shakes her head.

"I wouldn't trust any of them to actually take me where I wanted to go, half of them would sell me as a slave somewhere else and the other half would rape me first. Besides, Taleed has eyes and ears everywhere. He hears that you're trying to get off-planet and he'll pay you a visit nice and quick." Taleed? Oh, he sounds like someone I just have to meet.

"Who's Taleed, some sort of crime boss?" Aladaa laughs outright. I share a glance with Ehruss and shrug; this is about the best information I'm getting on this place.

"He wishes, he just knows a lot of people. He takes extorts protection money from us street vendors. Forty percent of our earnings or it's broken bones if you're lucky." Okay, he is someone I need to meet. Aside from any altruistic desire to help out the people here, someone like him is sure to know the names of any important criminals here on Nantama.

Or, at the very least he'll know the next criminal up. Someone like him doubtless has someone he bows too. I'll just beat my way up the proverbial food chain until I get something I can make use of.

"That seems like a rather crippling amount of money for people who probably don't make much. City security tolerates this?" She shrugs.

"Bribe the right people and they look away from the problem, and as long as it's kept out of sight from the tourists no one really cares. Especially about nonhumans or the poor." Well, that explains a bit.

"You think Taleed might have any contacts with Black Sun?" The spaceport is ahead of us now, we've been walking for a little bit. There's no real sizable crowds on the street this late at night. Some shifty characters but no one seems too interested in us.

"Black Sun, that's who you're looking for? I-I mean, maybe? I don't know everyone he talks to, just enough to avoid trouble." Hmm, what I expected from her, but this Taleed fellow is a start.

"Alright, once we get to the ship, you tell me everything you know and I'll pay you the money. Then in the morning, agree to show me where Taleed hangs out and I'll give you an extra four hundred." She looks a little shaken at the mention of Black Sun but she wants the credits.

"O-okay, sure I can do that." She nods, and we head for my ship.

I hope Bruck had better luck than me.


	54. Knight Errant: Chapter Ten

36BBY Nantama

"Okay, so you brought her here?" Bruck looks from me, to Aladaa, then to Ehruss. He doesn't seem particularly upset, just confused. That's a good start I suppose.

That he came back unharmed and undetected is an even better start. Honestly, I had feared that we'd get back and find out he'd been captured or something, but his stealth capability is pretty good when there are no Force users to detect him.

"Where else would I take her to get the information? It's safer here than anywhere else on this planet. I don't want any eavesdroppers." I'd probably see them coming, but I'd rather not take any unnecessary risks. If this Taleed fellow realizes I'm looking for him, he might go to ground or something. Bruck sighs.

"I get that, it's just a bit irresponsible to bring a ten year old girl into this? If word gets out that she led us to this Taleed fellow then we'll just have doomed her once we're done here." That's… true, but we'll just take her with us off world if it comes to it.

"Then we don't let him find out, once all attention is on us she can go to ground and no one will suspect her of any involvement." Aladaa raises her hand and coughs loud enough to interrupt us. We all turn to look at her, and she wilts under our gaze for only a moment.

"Don't I get a say in any of this? I did choose to help you do this." She frowns at the three of us, but it's kind of adorable.

"For money." I add helpfully, if only for my own sake. I'm not taking advantage of her help; I am paying her for the information she's giving me. Aladaa snorts and leans back in her seat.

"Of course, I wouldn't be doing this for less." Oh? And yet you came to 'save' me from a mugger cause I was nice to you. Then again, complex people, complex motives, she could have any number of reasons for doing what she does.

"Very charitable of you, but the people we're going after aren't some two-bit street thugs. They have resources that could easily track you down if this whole thing pans out." Aladaa looks at me.

"You mean Black Sun, right?" Bruck looks at me, and now he's not pleased at all. I meet his gaze, narrowed eyes on simple blindfold. Maybe telling her that Black Sun was involved wasn't the best idea I ever had.

"You told her, why did you tell her! What happens if some thug shakes her down and she leaks that name? If Black Sun knows someone's looking for them they'll be on high alert. Our job will be that much harder." He has a point, but the die is already cast. No turning back now, we have to deal with the situation at present.

"In retrospect, you might be right, but I wouldn't ask her to help without making sure she knew what she was getting into. If she found out later and felt scared or angry enough to rat us out we'd be in trouble. I thought it best that she know exactly what I was asking of her before we started."

"Okay, fine, whatever, you're right. Now this plan of yours, what exactly do you expect this Taleed to know? He sounds like some gang leader more than anything else. I've seen his like on other worlds, if anyone higher up the food chain is talking with him then they're doing it through intermediaries, people they can afford to lose." Okay, yes, and that's what I want!

"Yes, I go beat him up, asking about people up the food chain and what do you think this gang leader is going to do? Sell that information up for favor from the bigger criminals. Then, you follow the intermediary and see who he goes to talk to. From there we move on." Then whoever this Taleed answers to can point us to other big players in the region, if not Black Sun themselves.

Bruck leans back in his seat, thinking for a moment. Then he shrugs and sighs, his whole body relaxing.

"Okay, so yeah I see what you're going for. It could work, I'll follow you cloaked and after you… negotiate with Taleed, I'll see what he does. Then, provided you make your way back to the ship quietly, I'll meet up with you later and let you all know what I found." Alright, that sounds reasonable enough. I turn to Ehruss who has been content to watch and listen. I've always wondered if that's from her hunter background. I do like her patience though.

"Ehruss, I need you to infiltrate wherever this Taleed is holed up separate from me. We don't know how many men he's got on hand, but best not to take chances. Wait till you hear the commotion start and then begin dealing with as many as you can. We'll convene back with Taleed." Bruck raises a hand and points to Aladaa.

"Speaking of which, where exactly is this Taleed friend of ours base of operations, and an estimation of how many men he has working for him would be nice." Yeah, I would like to know what I'm going up against. A small gang leader shouldn't have more than a few dozen men, right? How many of them would be at his 'base' when we go knocking? Aladaa shrugs.

"Dozens, I couldn't say how many exactly, but he has a… brothel down on the outer Kartor district. It's three floors tall, I hate the place, half the people there are drugged up and the other half pressed into service." Oh, he's a pimp, a drug dealer, and press-gangs street vendors for protection money.

He and I are going to have such fun tomorrow. He has to get those drugs from somewhere. I bet this Taleed has some files in his office or something that might indicate a source of the drugs.

"Alright, we can handle that, I think. The hardest part will be doing it quietly, this Taleed fellow have any friends in the Nanton Security Force?" I ask and Aladaa shrugs.

"A few guards are on his payroll, mostly to look the other way on his extortion and drug running." Ooh, hopefully that will delay the security response for long enough to do what I need to do. I look at Bruck, and he shakes his head. Ehruss does likewise.

"Okay, looks like we're in agreement. Aladaa, you'll stay here with us tonight, in the morning I'll pay you the credits for this information. Then you take us to where Taleed hangs out and I'll give you the rest of it. That a deal?" She nods, and I stand up, heading for my bunk. I want to get out of this armor, and I'll need to be up and ready in time for the attack on Taleed.

"Right, come with me kid, we'll find you a bunk. Get some rest." Bruck leaves with Aladaa, and I'm left with just Ehruss beside me. I pat her on the shoulder and head for my bed. When morning comes, things get a little crazier in this city.

Morning comes soon enough. My datapad says that it's around eight in the morning local time. Okay, get up, dressed, don the armor. I'll need the helmet for this one; an armored woman is one thing, an armored Miraluka is noticeable. We're not that common out in the galaxy.

Okay, make sure the visor is facing the right way this time. I don't need a visor to see through, but without one, it raises suspicions from the observant types, and I don't want that yet. My glowrod/lightsaber is concealed within a compartment on the armor if I need it. I'm not going to use it if I can help it though; a Jedi is an even bigger warning flare. There's was a combat knife onboard somewhere in the cargo bay. I'll grab that for close quarters and a blaster pistol. Not that I know how to shoot one of those things.

As soon as I step out of the cabin I smell something cooking in the galley; that's Ehruss I bet. Bruck will be meditating in his room right now, since he's taken to doing that again. Aladaa is still sleeping. That's fine. I'll wake her up when breakfast is ready, if she isn't up by then.

I step into the cargo bay. There are still boxes and crates of weapons, mostly blasters and their components, but we've got some grenades and other ordinance. I reach for two flashbangs, a pistol, and after some digging I find the combat knife behind a crate. Alright, I've got all I feel that I need for this job.

I make my way back to the galley, pausing to rap on the door to the cabin that Aladaa chose to sleep in and tell her to get up. That done I head onto the galley for breakfast.

Bruck's already there. Ehruss has made some sort of grilled meat with eggs and fruit beside it. She's honestly an awesome cook, way better than I am, doesn't like using the fabricator, if we even had a decent one for this ship. Either way, I will gladly take what she cooks. Bruck's learned the same thing, and a bleary-eyed Aladaa follows the smell of food.

Breakfast is an awkward affair. Normally one of us would start a conversation, but Aladaa's presence here seems to have quieted things. None of us want to risk telling her more than she needs to know, and none of us thought to talk last night about what we could and couldn't discuss around her.

The silence is fine, just the lack of normal conversation is a bit disconcerting. I'm so used to it by now that it feels odd to not have it.

When we finish eating I go back to storage and rummage through the chests until I've got the credits for Aladaa's payment. I return to give them to her and watch with some amusement as she tucks them into different places on her outfit. It's a bit saddening to see, like she expects that she'll need to hide them just in case she gets shook down.

She probably does, now that I think about it. The thought sends sparks of anger through me, and I breathe in to calm myself. This is bad, but I can't let it push me to anger, not as a Jedi.

"You sure you want to lead me to Taleed? This is your last chance to back out and go on your way." Roll the dice, this is the Rubicon. She seems to be actually thinking about it before holding her hand out to me.

"You owe me the rest of those credits." I smirk and shake my head slowly, giving her the rest of her payment. There we go then, I hand her the rest of her payment and don my helmet again. Time to get to work.

"Once we're within sight of the brothel, you go back to the ship, stay out of sight and wait for me and Ehruss to come back." She nods and pats the pocket that conceals her holdout blaster. That settles it then.

"Bruck, Ehruss, follow at a distance and do what you need to do." They both nod. There's no more need for talking then. Time to get to work.

The streets of Nanton feel distinctly different this time out. Maybe it's because we're heading away from the pretty visage the city puts on for the tourists and rich visitors and instead heading for the seedier side.

Every city has one, and it seems the richer the locale, the bigger the underbelly is. You just have to know where to go, wherever they don't want you to. Fun fact, there are several places on the tourist guide that you'd have to travel through some of these districts to get to if you went on foot. The brochure is content to suggest walking to most places, take in the beautiful Nanton architecture, except for those destinations that require you walk through these districts.

Then, they suggest you take the maglev for convenience. In half the cases, walking would actually be shorter, but they just don't want their precious tourists walking near the slums of their city.

As Aladaa leads me towards the brothel I see why, some of the buildings seem in disrepair, and there are people walking the streets that set off every instinct. I have to resist the urge to reach for my lightsaber, that would do me no favors here.

"So what, you some kind of bounty hunter?" I refocus on Aladaa. She's walking confidently beside me, not at all troubled by what's going on around her. She's tense, but not afraid, waiting for any potential trouble to start.

"No, I'm something worse than that." She frowns but focuses ahead of her. Somedays I wish I was a bounty hunter, then things would be much less complicated. I wouldn't need to worry too much about what's going on in the galaxy.

"That's cryptic, so what are you then? Some kind of vigilante?" That's close enough I suppose, but not quite the truth. I shake my head slowly, a small smile she can't see on my face.

"No, I'm an idealist, that's a thousand times worse for places like these." She sighs and shakes her head, a reaction I expected.

"Idealists don't last long in Nanton, especially not in this part of the city, you sure you want to do this?" Aww, I can see the concern and worry in her aura. That's sweet of her, seems like there's a little bit of idealism left deep down in her core.

"You worried about me? Sweet of you Aladaa." She stiffens, flushed with embarrassment, how cute.

"I-I'm just worried I'll lose the easy paycheck you're giving me, not often I get such a lucky break." Sure it is, I totally believe you. Regardless, if I get beaten up by some gangbangers, then I don't deserve to be a Jedi Knight.

"Whatever you need to tell yourself Aladaa, I'll be fine though. I've faced tougher than some gangbangers." Another spark of curiosity, ah the innocence of youth. Even in this harsh life she still has some innocence.

"Yep, like the time Ehruss and I killed a Krayt Dragon." She turns to face me, utterly shocked. She's still walking backwards, but the look of astonishment on her face is telling.

"You didn't! A Krayt Dragon? How'd you manage to survive that?" I chuckle, the sound oddly distorted by the helmet's speakers.

"I'll tell you about it once this is done with, then maybe about the time, the three of us fought an entire invasion force on Javin, how's that sound?" She seems positively giddy. There's something fun about telling stories to kids, and it seems to have distracted her from what exactly we're going to do and just how dangerous it is.

Eventually we get close enough to see the brothel, as Aladaa helpfully points out. This is where we part ways I think. I stop to pat her gently.

"This is where we part ways Aladaa, head back to the ship and wait for us there. I'll be back shortly." She nods, looking at me carefully for a moment before heading the opposite way. I sigh and head in the direction of the brothel.

I can hear loud music blaring from the building, more prostitutes and other types loitering outside as I approach. They give me appraising looks, though some of them are muted, drugs perhaps? Others hide their fear behind a veneer of detached interest.

None of them say anything to me, and I don't bother talking to them. They're unimportant for what comes next. The first floor is spacious, small tables dotted here and there, presumably for drinks for the clientele. They aren't the main attraction though. I see mostly humans, men and women, walking around in scanty clothing, if you could call what they're wearing clothes.

Jesus, Leia's outfit in Episode VI was downright modest compared to some of these things. There are armed thug looking folks scattered about. I imagine they're here to prevent harm to the workers, or to prevent the workers from leaving I imagine.

The only modestly dressed woman in the entire place comes around the counter in the corner to welcome me. The thugs are tense, naturally considering my armor, but they haven't made any moves yet.

"Welcome, honored guest to our establishment. Is there any particular taste you prefer, man, woman? We cater to all." I prefer a little bit of both to be truthful, not why I'm here though.

"I'm here to speak to Taleed." She pauses, unsettled, and the thugs are reaching for their weapons.

"I-I don't know anyone by that name, I believe you have come to the wrong place." She's lying to me. I look upwards, there's an important looking fellow on the third floor in a neat little office. I assume that to be him.

"Taleed, the man who owns this brothel. I'm here to beat him bloody." I trigger the flashbang on my belt with the Force just as the thugs draw their weapons. An explosion of light fills the room just as I duck, kicking the brothel madam's feet out from under her as blasterfire shoots overhead. I sprint for the nearest thug.

He's clutching at his eyes, screaming in pain. There's a lot of screaming, people cowering or running for the door. I grab his wrist, yank up and back while driving my knee into his stomach. He wheezes and bends over. I punch him across the jaw and drive him into the wall. His partner beside him has recovered a bit, backpedaling as he tries to line up a shot on me.

I lash out and kick him in the knee hard enough for him to buckle. His blaster fires uselessly into the panelled floor before I kick it from his hand and follow up with another kick to the jaw. He's down and out.

The first thug heads for the stairs as his three buddies on the other side of the room open fire. Upstairs I can see doors opening, people rushing for the stairs. Looks like there are about fifteen of them.

I dart forward, dropping and sliding towards one of the nearby tables, kicking out the base and using it for cover from the hail of blasterfire. The wood's already cracking from the force of the blasterfire. I reach for the blaster on my belt and unhook it quickly, leaning up and firing at the thugs.

They split up, running for cover, and I kick the table, using the Force to propel it into the nearest thug. He trips over it, and I line up a shot square into his chest. The other two are in cover, and I scramble to my feet, rushing towards them.

They fire, and soon enough their friends upstairs join them. I sink into the Force, falling back on training to duck and weave my way towards the last two. I fire a few shots upstairs to keep them a bit occupied. Is that Ehruss slipping into the upper floor? Good for her, she can distract some of these folks.

One of the thugs has found cover behind the bar and main counter, the other behind a bend in the wall. Counter's closer and I leap over it into the first thug. Heat from his blaster washes over my armor just before I slam into him, knocking him back into the wall.

He grunts but doesn't go down, slamming the butt of his blaster into my helmet repeatedly. The motion jerks my head around but little else. I reach up for his wrist and grip hard, falling backwards and pulling him down with me.

My knee goes up as we drop, hitting his chest and propelling him face-first into the wooden counter at significant speed. The sound of his head thudding into the wood is a bit discomforting, but he seems to be out of it. His friend moves quickly around the corner, cautiously trying to locate me. Ehruss begins her own attack on the upstairs, and the man panics, backing into line of sight. His blaster is trained upstairs, and I shoot him in the groin. He probably deserved it.

Okay, get up, Ehruss is on the second floor. The men up there are distracted certainly, but she might need my help. There's a hint of a warning from the Force, and I turn as five men rush into the brothel. They look unarmed, and I smirk, walking around the counter.

"I'm in armor, you're not, think about this." The lead thug growls and rushes forward, his comrades following him, spreading out to surround me.

He tries to punch me, and I grab his arm, twisting it painfully, and step forward to the other side. He screams in pain as I pull him along, kicking him hard in the gut and sending him back into his comrades. They stumble to avoid him, and I wade into the middle of them.

I lash out with my fist to send the first man stumbling back into his fellow. The next tries to punch the back of my head, and I duck, kicking backwards into his groin. He drops like a sack of rocks as the third man barrels into me, and I plant my foot to resist. The Force flows through me as I wrap my hands around his waist and lift.

I bring him down onto the table behind me, and he crashes through it with significant force. The other two hesitate, and I take advantage of their distraction, rushing forward to attack the man on the left. He throws a weak punch, and I let it bounce off my armor. No real need for even the pretense this time.

Grab the collar of his shirt, pull him forward into a headbutt and kick him in the face when he tries to steady himself. The last man looks at me once over, then hesitates, and I step to the side. He doesn't even hesitate to run for the door. I take a moment to trip him at the last second and send him face first into the doorframe. I can't really risk him going to get help; I'm pushing it enough as is.

Ehruss is upstairs still. I hear the blasterfire going off. Taleed is in his office, surrounded by guards. He reeks of fear, and as I make my way up the stairs to Ehruss, I wonder just how I'm going to go about this.

The stairs lead to a long hallway with various doors on either side. A few of them have cowering prostitutes inside them, too afraid to leave. No reason to disturb them. Ehruss has holed up on the other end of the floor, inside a storage closet. Taleed's men are firing on her, but she has cover, and she's far more accurate than they are.

I heft my blaster and make my way towards the fight, coming around the corner and firing at the nearest thug. He takes the shot in the back and falls as his fellows turn to face me. One lines up a shot but goes down as Ehruss shoots him in the back.

Between the two of us there isn't much hope for them. They try to split their fire between us, but they have no defilade from either of our positions, and it's a matter of time till they're all either dead or incapacitated.

Ehruss leaves the storage closet and stalks towards me, hissing softly. I give her a nod and a thumbs up.

"Good job Ehruss, now let's go take care of Taleed himself." She nods and joins me as we head to the stairs. Taleed's still in his office. There's about four guards with them. Piece of cake really, I whistle softly as we walk.

"Any trouble getting in?" I ask as we make our way up the stairs, and Ehruss shakes her head slowly.

"No, there is no skill in these men, just numbers." I nod slowly, and as we reach the top floor I notice all the guards in the room tense. They have some sort of camera watching us? I would suppose so. I grab the last flashbang on my belt and toss it in my hand as we approach the door at the end of the hallway.

"Cover your eyes, Ehruss." She closes her eyes just as I prime the flashbang. Ehruss throws herself to the side of the wall as I kick open the door. I toss the flashbang and dive into the room just as blasterfire lights up the place where I'd been standing. The detonation leaves the rest of the room blind, and I take a series of quick shots, Ehruss moving in behind me.

And with that, it's done. His guards are gone, and now I get to see Taleed firsthand. He's a lanky man, short hair combed over, wearing some ridiculous two-bit gangster suit, and Force, he even has a silly hat to match the look. He's sitting behind a desk made of some carved wood, datapads laid across it.

"W-W-Who' the hell are you! You've got some nerve coming in here and interfering with my operations." I kick the desk hard, and it slams back into him. He cries out in pain, and I take the time to walk around the desk towards him.

"Arg! You Bitch!" I grab the back of his head and slam him face first into the desk, okay set the tone. Put the fear of whatever God he worships into him. Actually, I doubt he worships any god. The Star Wars universe is surprisingly atheistic in some ways.

"Mr. Taleed, I'm looking for your boss, I'd like to arrange a meeting." He looks up at me, a twinge of fear in his aura, and I grab his hand, crushing it painfully in my hand. He cries out, and I give him a second to catch his breath.

"I want to know who you answer to, who supplies you with your drugs, any of these prostitutes from offworld? Provided by some slavers perhaps?" I wonder if any are from Javin… the odds are unlikely, but I do wonder.

"I don't know what you're talking about, but I'm gonna see you dead for this!" I pull his hand back painfully and deaden myself to his scream. Ehruss watches from the other end of the room.

"I can sense your fear, now tell me what I want to know or I swear I'll see you in such pain as you'll never forget." He snarls at me, but it's hardly intimidating. He can't even fight back worth a damn. I think of Aladaa being beholden to this man before lifting him out of his chair and slamming him onto the desk. The knife is in my hand, and I slam it into the desk just shy of his jugular.

"I'll be back tomorrow. If you don't have a meeting with your boss and your dealer arranged, I'll cut your manhood off and stuff it down your throat." I grab him by the shirt and toss him into the wall behind me. He groans in pain, and I turn to Ehruss.

"Let's go, we've got places to be." Bruck's at the end of the hall. Good, he can take over from here. I make my way for the door, Ehruss stepping out before me. Taleed struggles to his knees, and I can feel the hate in his aura.

"You cunt! By the time I'm done with you, you'll regret ever messing with me. You'll suffer every indignity possible, I will make the rest of your life a living hell." I turn and shoot the ground in front of him, and he stills.

Ehruss and I make our way back downstairs and onto the street. We'll need to find a quieter way back to the ship. The prostitutes have taken off running to who knows where, and the street seems quieter now. There are people here, but they're wisely hiding and trying to not pay attention to what's going on.

"Now we wait Grashkowh, and see if this Taleed leads us to bigger prey." I nod slowly, hooking the knife back to my belt.

"I think his new circumstances will draw attention from the people we want to find. Either way, Bruck should bring us something good." I whistle slowly as we walk. Things are finally getting somewhere.


	55. Knight Errant: Chapter Eleven

36BBY Nantama.

Ehruss and I made our way back through the streets to my ship as quickly and quietly as we could. From what I could sense, no one followed us, which is ideal, but it won't be long before people start asking about a woman decked out in full battle armor and her Trandoshan friend.

Might be getting close to time to leave Nantama, provided we find a lead somewhere else. In a turn of good fortune, Aladaa listened to me and went straight back to my ship. I had honestly expected her to follow me to watch, but she's got enough self-preservation instinct not to run into what she knows is going to be a fight.

What I wasn't expecting was to come up the loading ramp only to find her in the galley, holding one of my lightsabers in her hand. I thought I'd hid that thing well! Inquisitive little child, and now problematic for me.

"You're a Jedi!" I sigh and take off my helmet, calling the lightsaber to my hand, causing her to gasp excitedly.

"Yes, I am a Jedi Investigator, here to track down Black Sun." She is positively giddy, and I shake my head slowly. Ehruss doesn't seem at all troubled by the girl's knowledge, perhaps still pleased over her victory.

"I'm helping a Jedi Investigator, this is so cool, no one's going to believe this-." I hold up my hand to interrupt.

"Woah there Aladaa, you can't tell anyone that I'm a Jedi, if they realize there's a Jedi investigating them they'll go to ground and my job will be that much harder." I am not keen on having to deal with local security when I don't know how reliable they are. Especially here.

"Oh, right, secrecy, I can do that, no problem Master Jedi, ma'am!" She beams at me, and I sigh. I really can't leave her on Nantama now, can I? She's going to let it slip at some point and get lynched for helping me fuck up the criminal underworld here.

Welcome aboard I guess, I can get her to Shili right? I haven't actually seen what child services are like in the Star Wars universe, but there has to be someplace here that can take care of her? I say that as if I won't end up letting her just keep travelling with us, but she is a young child and this is dangerous work.

"Okay, so no one followed you back to my ship?" I trust her to have moved quieter than I did, but you never know. She shakes her head, as expected, and sits down on the galley bench, still shaking with excitement.

"No, I made sure to be careful and quiet about it. I got here and thought to do some exploring while I waited." I nod in understanding, childish curiosity at its best. It's just unfortunate that it's put her in danger now.

"Small hunters should be careful not to be caught searching." Ehruss calls from the small kitchen; she always seems to be hungry after a fight. I take a seat across from Aladaa in the galley, and she focuses on me excitedly.

"Aladaa, now that you know I'm a Jedi. I have a proposition for you." How exactly do I tell her I want to take her offplanet to a better life? This is a lot more awkward now that I'm actually saying it.

"It pay well?" she asks, and I chuckle. It wasn't that funny, but it did break the awkward tension I've been feeling.

"Eh, well enough I guess. You said you had no parents right?" She nods. Okay, nothing to worry about on that end. Honestly, if she did have parents they'd have to be pretty neglectful to let their daughter run around like this.

"How would you like to leave Nantama?" With those simple words I watch her expression shift from disbelief to happiness then back and forth. It's rather comical to watch as her voice builds up to a shriek of excitement, almost bouncing in place.

"You're damned right I want off this blasted rock! No one here treats me with any respect or dignity! I'm a street rat to these people at best, scum at worst. Please! Take me anywhere but here." I watch her tirade quietly, about what I had thought her response would be. I am glad that she didn't object to leaving Nantama too much.

"Glad to hear it, we won't be staying here for long hopefully, once we find the link to Black Sun we're looking for, we'll be moving onto a new target." She nods, looking at me with barely contained excitement. I lean back, thinking for a long moment.

I need something to kill time until Bruck comes back. Normally I'd just spend time meditating, but I can't leave her to her own devices like that; it'd be rude. Ah, I have an idea.

"So, how about those stories I promised you?" She beams and I begin recounting some of my adventures, from Troiken to Onderon, and up to Javin. Ehruss speaks up occasionally to add her own accounts of our adventures or stories of her past hunts.

It's a nice feeling. I remember being a youngling with Yoda recounting daring and heroic adventures from his past. One day I'll have a padawan of my own to tell these stories too, but it's still fun to tell them to Aladaa who is brimming with childish curiosity.

I almost don't notice Bruck approaching hours later. He seems unharmed. There's no desperation of a man in danger, so I guess it didn't go terribly. I wait for him to come up the ramp and into the galley before he slumps down on the seat next to me. He looks at Aladaa for a moment before speaking.

"Aladaa, does the name Benson Arkanus mean anything to you?" She thinks for a moment before shaking her head, and he sighs.

"I thought not, well I might as well recount my discoveries to everyone." Ehruss tosses him a beer, and he down it gratefully. He finishes it with a sigh before speaking.

"So, after your beatdown, Taleed made a few calls, but most notably to a man named Almir. Then he ranted at some of his henchmen for the next hour or so before this Almir person arrived." He shakes his head slowly, massaging what I assume to be a growing migraine.

"He and Almir had it out for a bit, there was a lot of talk about payments and operations that were vague and went nowhere I understood. But this Almir person seemed to be working for someone important so I waited for him to leave and followed." Bruck looks up at me quickly and points at me.

"By the way, they're planning an ambush for you at the brothel tomorrow night, they still think you're coming back." I nod, well that plan worked. Hopefully whoever this person is will be a little less defended than before.

"Anyways, Amir went all the way back to the Elegin district, to a place named the 'Moon and Star'. It's a combination casino/resort, but he went to the top floor to meet with this Arkanus person." Aha, and the important criminal reveals himself at last.

"He didn't seem too concerned with your interference with Taleed, considered him insignificant in the long run. Talked about various other operations they had across the planet, nothing related to Black Sun. However-" he holds up a hand.

"He did mention a shipment from an important supplier that was coming tomorrow night. It's coming in on a big freighter in the Sarkan Port district. I got the location and time, whatever's on it he mentions wanting it secured and stored away quickly." That's an important lead, and I know what we're doing tomorrow night.

"Any idea what might be on it? It's not likely to be slaves, that's legal here, they could just bring them in through normal channels, drugs or weapons maybe?" Assuredly nothing good, but I'm wondering if it's hidden on a normal freighter or if it's a specific freighter carrying just that. Either way we're going to go check on it and see what's up.

"That, or maybe smuggled artifacts, he seemed like one of those pretentious assholes who buys art to feel more cultured." I chuckle, and he shrugs unapologetically. Yeah, there seem to be plenty of those types about.

"Alright, I guess we go check out the freighter tomorrow night. We'll see if we can't find out something there." He looks at me for a moment, and I shrug.

"What do you expect we'll find? I'd have thought we'd go after Benson himself." And have him warn Black Sun? No, I have a different plan from that.

"Well, I imagine if Black Sun is involved in this, then it'll be mentioned. At the very least we can try to sneak onto the freighter and try to access its nav computer. We'll find out where it's been, see if any of those places seem likely." We'll backtrack to the source. If it turns out to be nothing, we go and try to see what this Benson fellow knows.

That isn't something I want to do. It's far riskier than beating up some street thug, but if it's what needs to be done then whatever. Bruck nods and leans back in his seat, thinking.

"Alright, we might want to go scout out the place beforehand though. We've got the time, and I want to make sure we can find a good overwatch position." He turns back to Aladaa and pauses, thinking for a moment.

"Aladaa, do you know anyone who sells computer spikes? We're going to need some if we want to crack those navigation logs." She thinks for a moment before nodding.

"There's a guy who has a shop in one of the back alleys. He sells datapads, and other little technical trinkets but he has those and some other less than legal things if you know how to ask." Bruck nods, and I turn to Ehruss.

"Ehruss, can you get us some computer spikes? Three should be enough to grab the nav logs from the ship." Ehruss nods, and Aladaa leads her down the ramp. I head back to my room to change. The armor's only going to make me conspicuous, especially if I'm spotted by the port.

I choose a simple tunic and pant combo, throw on a jacket, and place my concealed lightsaber inside the jacket. When I finish, I head out to find Bruck waiting for me at the ramp. He looks me up and down before shrugging and heading off in the direction of the port.

"Never thought I'd be hunting Black Sun of all things, seems pretty high-end for us don't you think?" I shrug, I never really thought about it. I'm admittedly doing this as a reactionary measure for Javin. I'm not sure if I would have gotten involved in an investigation like this without something pointing me to it.

It is the right thing to do though, and that's what matters to me. I can't really deal with all the crime in the galaxy on my own and certainly can't pull Black Sun down by myself. I can however do what I can to weaken them wherever possible, and that's a start.

"Maybe, I try not to think about it too much, less intimidating that way." He laughs, and I frown slightly. I can't tell if he's laughing at me, or the thing I said.

"You took on an entire invasion, and a force-sensitive assassin, it seems odd to be intimidated by a criminal organization, even Black Sun." We emerge onto the main street. It's busy this time of the day, and it takes a bit of effort to stay together in the crowd.

"That's different, it's easy to exist in the moment. We have only the barest hint of intel that Black Sun might be operating in this region. I mean, it looks like there's a market so it's entirely probable they're operating here, but until we get a better lead we're running blind." A vendor's selling what look like apples on sticks.

Okay, those look like candied apples, and I want them. I want them badly. Bruck watches me derail with a sigh and patiently waits while I buy two; I'm not rude. Besides I don't doubt he's hungry.

A few credits down and I hand one to Bruck, feeling vindicated as he quietly accepts the food and begins eating. It's pretty good actually, very sweet, and now that I think about it, doesn't chocolate exist here? Note to self, find and buy chocolate, lots of it.

"Maybe, just isn't what I expected when I started this 'shadowy justice' thing. Spent my time beating down gangbangers, and other lowlifes in the seedier sides of planets. Not hunting after intergalactic crime lords and slavers." I suppose it's fair. He isn't a Jedi or a Sector Ranger, but it's telling that he hasn't parted ways with me yet.

"Do you regret teaming up with me then?" I ask, and he shakes his head quickly.

"Oh no, I wasn't trying to imply anything, just trying to wrap my head around what we're doing, feels like I'm just a casual smashball player who's been told he's going pro. It takes some getting used to." That's fair I guess. Compared to Troiken, Onderon, and Terminus this is normal for me. I wonder if I should be worried about that, probably, but with the way my life is going that seems counterproductive.

"Ah well, you'll get used to it I guess, if you decide to keep traveling with me. I don't doubt we'll get into more serious situations in time." We work our way through the crowds and up to the maglev. Another train ride I guess, makes sense. This city is massive, and I'm just happy that the brothel wasn't too far to walk.

Bruck and I make our way up towards the maglev, but conversing is hard, especially as we don't want anyone listening in.

So the conversation shifts, switching to more mundane topics, sports teams, friends and family. Bruck hasn't seen his in years and neither have I. I don't even know who my biological parents of this universe are.

We head for ground level, and make our way to one of the less crowded alleys to avoid the clustered crowds on the main thoroughfare. We're silent for a moment before Bruck sighs and continues speaking.

"We'll see, I've no plans to leave anytime soon, but I think I'm going to need to find something to better handle all the stronger opponents we seem to be facing. I can't imagine Black Sun doesn't have some considerable muscle behind them. Especially if we're going after their leadership." Ah, hello segue into something I'd wanted to bring up.

"That is true, but how would you feel if I told you I knew a way to work on evening out that power gap?" He looks at me curiously as we stroll through the alley. No one's really paying attention to us, and I'm thankful for it.

"Oh, how so? I've heard you talk about the Matukai training, I'm down for it if it's as good as it seems to be." Okay, yeah, Matukai training is the best thing. I don't get tired anymore, and as soon as I get better at it, poison and illness immunity. That's not even getting into the fact that I'm in the best physical condition I have ever been.

"Well yes, that too, but I was more talking about getting you a lightsaber and teaching you the way of the Jedi again." He stops, and I turn to face him, only polite. The look on his face is… complicated. His aura shifts, happiness, apprehension, a little bit of fear, and something else I don't recognize.

"Are you serious? You're offering to teach me to be a Jedi again?" I nod. I had thought that was obvious. He shakes his head and chuckles; it sounds… shaky.

"What kind of Jedi are you? I thought you weren't supposed to take older students, especially ones who got kicked out of the Temple for falling to the Dark Side." He's still going on about that? I mean, I understand I guess; he feels like he doesn't deserve it. But after Javin, and now all the work he's putting into it here, I don't see a reason not to teach him.

"I'm a Jedi Investigator, that's what kind of Jedi I am, but to be more specific, just because I support the Order doesn't mean I agree with all of their doctrines. I'm not advocating using the Dark Side, so it's fine as far as I'm concerned." He looks at me, and I shrug. I really can't explain it any simpler than that.

"You are the oddest woman I have ever met, and that's saying something." I chuckle softly. Okay yeah, he's right, but I'll chalk that up to foreknowledge and extra-universal sensibilities where these things are concerned. I'm certain the Council would not approve of training Bruck, but I don't plan to tell them until long after I've already started, better to ask forgiveness than permission I guess.

"Probably, I imagine I'll need to keep track of the number of times I'm told that." I jest, but it's not that likely… right? He shakes his head, and we continue on our way. A few people give us looks, but no one approaches.

The docking quarter is even farther out from the center of the city. It's far from rundown though. It seems to be well-maintained and organized, dozens of docking bays and cargo storage areas, tons of crates piled up upon each other.

"Where's the docking bay we're going to?" I look around. There are dozens of dock-workers going about their business, but none of them seem to be taking any interest in us. There are a few security guards who give the two of us a quick lookover before moving on. Beyond that… nothing I can see. That won't last long though. This Arkanus fellow's sure to send men down to secure it soon.

"We're looking for bay 23-D." Okay, and that is… where exactly? Okay that's 41-D over there, so that's the direction we'll want to go.

"They have security camera's though. We'll need to be careful if we want to get in without being seen." Bruck says, and I frown. He's right, I really don't want to be found out so soon. There are ways around it. I turn to Bruck.

"Your stealth, does it disguise you from cameras?" He nods, and I smile slightly. Then I have my way in. I point to the docking bays, and he turns to look.

"I don't think those cameras will be looking for people on the roof, you go in and find the docking bay and I'll leap to the roof. Then once you find the docking bay just sit tight while I make my way to you." He nods and runs off, disappearing into the Force as I make my way around the docking area. Okay, I need to find somewhere to leap up that's also out of sight.

The alley over there looks good. I head into the alley and leap, letting the Force guide me as I descend onto the roof of the starport. Okay, look around, does anyone seem to be reacting to it?

The security guard at the front is flirting with a pretty Twi'lek woman; she isn't seeing anything. The few dock-workers nearby are engrossed in talking to each other and haven't reacted. Where's Bruck?

Bruck is heading east of me, might as well shadow him. I start heading in his direction. I wonder what Jang, Ilena, and the others are up to. I really ought to try and get in contact with them once I'm done here on Nantama, see what they're up to.

There are dozens of open roofs and bays all across this starport, makes sense for allowing ships to land, but it just seems odd to see such a massive building have so many holes in the roof. It's just another testament to how big this city is.

Eventually, Bruck stops in a nearby docking bay, and I make my way towards him. I guess this is the bay. There's no one else in there, and Bruck is moving behind some empty storage containers. I look around briefly, no one heading in this direction, before leaping down to the landing pad.

Bruck waves to me, and I head over towards him. This docking pad is huge, much bigger than the one on Bespin. Which is awesome really, so many places to hide from any guards that come down.

"This is the place, we've got plenty of spots to set up in, but I think here will be good. We've got cover and enough exit points to escape if anyone heads this way." I nod, looking around. I can see anyone coming our way, and we can move as necessary. All that's left to do now is wait here for tomorrow night. I can afford to stay here until they come.

"Bruck, head on back to the ship, grab the computer spikes and meet me back here tomorrow night. I'll stay to keep an eye on the landing pad." He nods but looks at me with some concern, sweet of him, but I'll be fine. He can easily sneak back into docking bay, I can't, especially if they have watchers outside. Unless they're very thorough, I doubt they'll be able to pin me down.

"I'll be fine Bruck, I can meditate to pass the time, and the Matukai training will keep me energized for when it comes. You'll need the rest, and we'll need the computer spikes if we want to get the data." He sighs and nods, slipping off into the rest of the starport.

That done, I sit down, adopt a meditative pose and sink into the Force. This is going to be a stealth mission, I hate stealth missions. I really hope it doesn't go like my other stealth missions.


	56. Knight Errant: Chapter Twelve

36 BBY Nantama

My breathing slows as I continue my meditations. I began my meditation as soon as Bruck left, and it was a simple matter to focus inwards while keeping enough of an outward perception to alert me to any people coming my way.

No one has, I suppose that would be the first clue to something being off here. I mean, I can get no ships landing on this pad in a day; this is the freight dock, and there can't always be a big heavy freighter coming in with goods. But no dock workers coming to inspect the pad and make sure it's prepped and there's nothing to move around?

I'm no expert on how docking bays work, but that seems rather odd to me. I had expected at least one person coming in to give the place a quick inspection, but nope. I'm not too worried. There's plenty of cover in here if anyone comes by.

But meditation here has given me some much needed time to reflect and think. I realize it's been a few months since my Knighthood, but it feels longer. Three months or so out from under supervision and I'm already basically breaking half the Order's rules. Granted, they're the rules I think suck, like avoiding attachments and not training older students, but still.

I think that training Bruck will work out. He's already shown that he isn't the same dumb kid who got manipulated by Xanatos, and if the Disciples trusted him enough to teach him their techniques, then I suppose it's the least I could do to give him a shot.

I figure that if he does end up leaning towards the Dark Side again, then I'll be able to see and catch it in time… If not, then I'm confident I could take him if he went evil. I'm sure the Council would disagree, but Bruck becoming a good 'Jedi' would be a good start to getting the Order to rethink some of their age old traditions.

Or to getting me kicked out of the Order for heresy, one or the other, but I figure that I'll just go see Master Altis if that time comes. He's already expressed openness to taking me on, and I feel he'll be fine with me joining his order.

Alternatively I just keep doing what I'm doing now, wandering the galaxy and stopping criminals where I can find them. I do need to do something about the Sith, but I need something to basically point the Council in their direction.

For that I need proof; I'm not sure how to go about it. I'm positive I could find evidence of criminal wrongdoing, embezzlement, intimidation and other illegal activities. The problem is, finding witnesses willing to come forward, protecting them from 'sudden deaths', and actually getting past the deadlock in the Senate. Could Ranulph and the Militarists prosecute them in the Senate? In theory yes, in practice it would end in a lot of blood most likely.

I could go find the Fallanassi. The earliest mention of them that I could remember was during the Empire era, but there's no sign of when they formed as an ideology. They could have existed before that. Their Force immersion would probably be exactly what I need. I really ought to head over to Lucazec when the opportunity arises, for now I have to deal with this.

If this pans out, I'll hopefully have some better leads to the bosses in the region, and they can tell me where the captured civilians from Javin were sent. More than likely a lot of them have been sold, but dammit if I can save at least a few I'll do it.

A quick look at the datapad tells me we're nearing nightfall. Bruck and the others should be arriving pretty soon. I sigh and stand up. Meditation time is over. I need to be on my A-game and prepared for their arrival.

I go through some basic stretches to get the blood flowing, and let the Force flow through my tired body, invigorating me and getting me ready. It's such an easy habit for me by this point; it's so useful, and I love it. Meditate or practice for nearly twenty-four hours and just use the Force to boost your stamina, and you'll be fine.

There's no risk of crashing afterwards either, unless I do this for multiple days in a row. And even then, Del said that as your skill with it increases you can power on for longer. The record for longest continuous activity by a Matukai being like a week and a half with no sleep or rest.

By the time I've stretched and got myself ready to go, I can see a bunch of people congregating at the docking port entrance. They're moving inwards, and I can see Bruck close behind them. Okay, that's good. They're here ahead of the ship I imagine, to secure the landing pad and be ready for the drop.

I don't know if the crew of the freighter are in on this drop, but I imagine if they come in dressed as dock workers then their goal is something hidden among the cargo and getting the freighter's navicomputer logs won't tell me nearly as much as I'd have liked. If they come in dressed like… well minions, I imagine the crew of the freighter are in the know on what they're delivering and are much more likely to have some interesting travel points on their navicomputer.

There are about two dozen of them now, filing into the docking bay and spreading out immediately. Three of them are coming my way, and I retreat further back into the mess of crates and other obstacles present for cover.

Points to them. They're thorough and professional, but I can see through obstacles and avoid them. The crate I'm behind is about twelve feet high and fifteen wide. So, as the three approach to make their sweep, two go to the left side of the crate and one to the right. I take a breath and check to make sure I'm in no one else's line of sight before I jump up, using the Force to extend my leap quickly and quietly over the crate.

Now I'm on the other side, and the three goons walk harmlessly to the other side. They spot it's clear, talk into their comlink, and immediately begin turning around to come back. There is another crate providing cover behind me, and I leap back up and over the crate to my starting point.

The three continue their patrol onwards, leaving me to watch as the men fan out and meticulously patrol the docking pad. Bruck makes his way through the landing zone to where I'm situated and drops out of his concealment beside me.

"There you are, you're lucky that they aren't looking up, your fancy flips will get you spotted at some point." I shrug, and he sighs. I mean, he's not wrong. I waited until they weren't looking, but all it takes is a single accident. Now though they think this area is clear. They'll be less on guard than before.

"It worked, didn't it? Did you get the computer spikes." He nods and pats the pocket of one of his robes. I didn't expect him to come here without them, but I just had to ask. Nothing's landed yet, but it's just a matter of time, right?

"What's the plan, Viera?" The plan is to get on the ship and pull the navicomputer logs; the how is still up in the air as far as I'm concerned.

"When the ship lands we'll see what happens. When they start unloading the cargo you slip onboard the ship and get the computer logs." I'd like to sneak onboard with him, but I am well aware of my lack of stealth as compared to Bruck. He looks at me for a moment.

"And you'll be doing something productive while I sneak aboard the freighter?" He asks, and I nod. I do have something to do here, just not as important as Bruck.

"While you're doing that, I am going to try and get close enough to listen in on any conversation between them, see if I can't get any useful information. Plus if this all goes badly, I'm here to make sure that you get out alive." He seems to accept that and turns his attention to the sky just as I notice it too.

Here comes the freighter. It's one of the Corellian Action series freighters, which means it could be hauling upwards of eighty thousand tons of cargo. I doubt it's hauling quite that much, because there aren't nearly enough people here to unload all of that in a timely manner, but it should take them long enough to be distracted with their work.

Behind the crate in the back corner I'm confident that we're not going to be spotted, but it doesn't hurt to be safe, so we both huddle closer to the crate to lower whatever bit of us could be spotted from above.

Maybe it's instinctive, there's little to no chance of them physically seeing us, but it doesn't stop us from trying to hide more anyways. The men in the docking bay are formed up around the ship as it settles down. A few are watching the entrance, but no one seems to be paying much attention back here.

The wind whips through the docking bay. The engines roaring even on low power. I can't hear anything else, but I can see the inside of the freighter. It isn't as full as it probably could be, but I can still see dozens of crates filled with… I have no idea what really. The freighter lands with a loud thump, and after a minute, air hisses outwards as the various 'doors' begin opening.

I signal to Bruck, and he slips into his concealment. He'll sneak onto the freighter, grab the navicomputer logs, and we can backtrack where this ship has been and when. Once he grabs the navicomputer logs, he'll head straight back for our ship, and I'll slip away as well. In the meantime, I need to try and get closer to the main group, see if I can't overhear anything important.

How to do it though? There's some cover near the main group that would work, but there was a lot of open ground from here to there, and I can't risk being spotted. Is there anyone above on overwatch… yes one, but he's watching the outside, not the docking bay. I could go up maybe? No, that could work, but I wouldn't be close enough to hear anything.

On the other side of the freighter there seems to be more cover close to the main group. I could pretty easily get close to them on that side and listen in. I'm going to have to do this quickly though. Okay to my right then, I'll go around the back of the freighter and come up on the other side. The two guards who could see me are busy watching the freighter.

I move swiftly to the next bit of cover. Bruck's heading for one of the cargo ramps. Luckily he can't see me, or he'd have choice words for me about stealth. Hell, he's lucky I didn't wear my armor. Aside from the fact that it would give me away as the person who tore up the brothel, it would have been very loud.

But I can't imagine a better opportunity than this to move. Soon enough they'll be moving all over the place to unload the cargo, and there wouldn't be a good moment to get close. I want to hear what the people on the freighter say to the people on the ground.

If they say anything at all it'll be telling about what the cargo is, why they want it, whether the people on the freighter are part of this Arkanus's 'crew' or outside suppliers. If they're outside suppliers then who are they working for, and what are they gaining from it.

On the other side of the bay are more storage crates, what looks like a supersized forklift, barrels, and other superficial things I would expect to see here. It's good enough cover, and I make the journey quickly from cover to cover as I near the bay entrance. The ramps are down and there are people coming out of the freighter now. I see Bruck slip onto the ship and smile; he's doing well then.

There's a big piece of machinery near enough to the main group, and I crouch behind it, carefully listening as one of the freighter's crewmen, a Rodian, makes his way to the lead human. There does seem to be some tension in the air, but considering where we are it could just be general speciesism.

"Good to see you again, Kael, still working for Arkanus? You haven't changed since the last time we met." 'Kael' scowls at the Rodian but makes no hostile moves. The rest of the ship's crew have arrived, mostly aliens, and take up positions behind the Rodian.

"Cut the chatter Valo, we're not friends, we've never been friends. Do you have the shipment? Because if you don't, just tell me so I can shoot you and end my troubles." Ooh, a history there? And perhaps not a happy one. The Rodian laughs, and it is a terrible sound. They aren't meant to laugh like humans do; their vocal chords just don't work that way.

"You would not dare, you're too obedient. Arkanus needs this shipment to keep all of the little gangs under his heel happy." Kael scowls, the frustration in his aura evident, but the way he forcefully calms himself proves Valo right.

"Fine, did you at least get the Ryll he wanted?" Ryll? Oh, right the illegal spice. With Ryloth undergoing the upswing in wealth, they've turned to producing medical Ryll instead of the more addictive drug. Which means that it's worth would have gone up on the black market due to natural supply and demand.

And what criminal enterprise has the power to acquire the Ryll other than Black Sun? One of the alien crewmen stalks back into the cargo bay, and for a long moment there is silence as I watch the man maneuver a crate in the freighter onto what looks like a futuristic pallet jack and return.

Valo pops the lid of the crate and pulls it back, revealing its contents to Kael. The man scans the crate for a moment before looking up at Valo. There's still a boiling resentment buried down, but he's happy to have gotten what he wanted

"You're wasted here Kael, Black Sun's still recruiting. You could easily find a good place in Garyn's fold, he's restructuring the entire organization." Yes! Black Sun! Wait, who's Garyn? I don't remember who commanded Black Sun around this time, though I suppose with the shifts in the underworld everything could be different. Kael growls something under his breath but shakes his head. Valo laughs loudly again, but it doesn't bother me as much cause I am fighting a shout of joy.

I've got a lead! A lot of leads actually, depending on where that ship has been. Where's Bruck? Ah, I can sense him, he's on the ship. There's no one around him, and the navicomputer logs are as good as his.

"Did you get the tapestry he wanted as well? He's been getting impatient for it." I perk up as I hear the continued conversation. Bruck was right, pretentious art collector guy. Kael starts directing his men to offload the freighter, and Valo shrugs.

"It just arrived at our storehouse, he'll have to wait till the next shipment. I've got my rounds to make and don't have the time to run his little errands." There's silence from Kael, and Valo sighs.

"It's business Kael, make sure he knows that, we all have our obligations. He knows where the storehouse is, if he's that impatient then let him go get it himself." Okay, good to know, but it looks like they're about to start unloading, and there's nothing worthwhile left for me to hear. I retreat further back into the bay.

Now I just wait for Bruck to get off the ship. Where is he now? He's moving away from the flight deck. Looks like we've gotten what we need. Time to go, I'll wait for him to get clear before I do likewise.

They're unloading the cargo from the freighter now, moving it out of the bay and to what looks like a large transport outside. Bruck moves quickly through the freighter. No one can see him, so no one can really stop him.

I need to learn that once we get off Nantama. Seriously, that's just so useful. I've been delaying, cause I haven't had a good long time to devote to learning it. But if I'm going to start teaching Bruck Jedi techniques, then I can start trying to learn his abilities.

Okay, Bruck's heading for the entrance. Now how the hell do I get out of here? Well, I don't need to worry about being spotted, so upwards I guess? Where's the guy on the roof? He's still watching the transport outside. It'll be open ground, but if I sprint I can drop down on another alley and make the long way around.

I leap upwards, the Force assisting my leap, and the minute my feet land on the roof, I take off running towards the nearest drop away from the front entrance. The Force spurs me onward, increasing my speed. If I'm seen here it won't necessarily ruin anything, but I still don't want any extra complications. Overwatch hasn't looked my way, so I feel like I'm good. The Force isn't warning me of anything, and within a minute I'm back on the street level on the other side of the spaceport.

Bruck knows to head back to the ship, and I'll do likewise, just going to have to be a bit more roundabout in heading there. Let's not take any risks by going near the men out front. Take the long way, get back to the maglev, and meet up with Bruck.

I look around for the best path and begin the long trek back. I have a good feeling about this; we've got some leads I think.

I have no idea what any of this means.

We're all crowded in the cockpit, looking at the stream of data coming in from the Black Sun navicomputer logs. It took a long time to make it back to the ship, and even longer to plug the stolen logs into our computer and start looking at the data.

The problem is, that ship has been a lot of places. Now that I know where the Black Sun ship has been, I have to hope I can figure out where the most likely Black Sun bases and operations are based on.

But this ship has been everywhere—especially in the Senex sector—from Bator Bai, to Aquella, Caltinia, Doreen, Sullana, Port Evokk, Tranthellix, Osmani, and Karfeddion. I've no idea which one it might be.

We considered following the logs to see where this ship goes the most often, but even then, it seems to make a circuit. There's no telling where it begins because it seems to hit the entire set of planets every couple of days with no discernable point at which it deviates.

"I have a feeling we're going to have a long trip ahead of us, if we want to find Black Sun." Bruck says with a sigh, I hear that. At the very least this tells us there's some group on each of those planets that does business with Black Sun. We know where the ship's going to stop next, but we don't know what their reason for stopping on each planet is. Following them's a bit risky though. If they notice a single ship following them they could prepare a trap for us. I'd prefer us being unnoticed until we actually get what we want.

"There is another alternative." Bruck and Ehruss both look at me, and I sigh. This is already giving me a headache, but I press on.

"They mentioned that Arkanus is waiting for a special delivery, some tapestry he's very fond of. The Black Sun representative, Valo, mentioned that Arkanus knew where he could go to get it from them. Arkanus knows where to find the Black Sun base. So our most direct option would be to somehow get the information from the crime lord."

"How do you propose we do that? I don't think he'll have that sort of information just laying around or even on some datadiscs?" Well, there are a couple options, none of them good.

"Arkanus knows, we'll need to get the information from him somehow." Bruck sighs and leans back in the copilot's seat.

"How exactly do you plan to do that though?" I have a few ideas, none of them particularly good.

"I need to look into a couple things." I head back to the galley, food first, then some research.

So, a little note about update schedules.

My life has gotten extremely busy, work mostly, but other things too. I'm not abandoning this story, but I should make note that as of right now, tuesday, thursday, and friday are the only days I have where I even have a serious chance to write and that's not factoring in exhaustion.

Posting rate will be slow from now until ? But I promise it's not done.

Thanks for your patience.


	57. Knight Errant: Chapter Thirteen

36BBY Nantama.

"I don't like this idea anymore." Bruck sighs and leans back in the seat, looking up and down at me for a moment before closing his eyes.

"This was your idea in the first place, and I said it was a poor idea at the time, but as we both know, our options are limited now." Tell me about it. There is a Black Sun… storage depot somewhere out there, and Arkanus knows where it is. Sneaking into his office at the Moon and Star casino was a no-go. Aside from the fact that his security is excellent, I have no official authority to try and leverage my way in.

Bruck tried sneaking into the office himself, and while he got in, there wasn't anything on Black Sun we could find. Some useful information certainly, specifically on other business dealings he has with the criminal underworld here on Nantama, storehouses of drugs and other things. I'll certainly try to pass that along to the proper authorities before I leave, but not useful to my search for Black Sun.

Which leaves our options for getting the location of the safehouse from him limited. A mind trick maybe? I'd need to get close to him to actually do it, and he'd need to be weak-minded enough to be susceptible to it. I don't know if he's weak-minded though; I haven't been able to get a read on the guy.

Bruck's seen him, but pretentious art-collector does not automatically equivocate to weak-minded fool. I can't get to him because of security. While I could fight my way to him, I'd need to use my lightsaber, and that would be the end of my stealthiness. I don't want that yet.

But another option has presented itself, and it sounded like such a good idea when I first thought of it. Bruck learned, during his infiltration, that Arkanus is holding a massive party at his casino in a few days time.

Oh, what an opportunity, I thought. I'll slip into the party, try to get alone with him, and find a way to get the information out of him. There'll be alcohol and drinking, which will hopefully lower his inhibitions and mental defenses, if he has any, and I can mind-trick him!

I wouldn't be able to get in as a waitress, too few opportunities to get close and too many people who would know I didn't belong. But as a guest? The guest list is a massive thing, one more name wouldn't be noticed, and Bruck could easily sneak in and update the register.

The only problem is, there's a rather unstated dress code for the whole thing, and no one on the whole of Nantama, with all its luxury stores and tailors, sells formal clothes for women that are not dresses of some sort.

Goddamnit, at least I could pay for it with one of my Aurodium coins and with plenty of money left over to accessorize a bit. I have to look the part of a wealthy and industrious woman after all.

Now though? Today is the day. I have the dress, and the man at the shop only asked for a fifteen percent markup for having it ready on such short notice. There's just one little problem I have with it.

"There's a slit all the way up to my thigh, though!" I mean seriously. It's certainly long enough, but there's a glaring problem with it. I really should have paid more attention to what the tailor was saying, but I didn't have time! I had to make some calls, get that coin exchanged for easier money, get Aladaa settled, figure out a plan of action. I found some shorts to wear under it, but it's still so… bad! I don't like it!

"Yeah there is." Bruck mumbles, and even without eyes my annoyed glare is fearsome to behold. I mean, it's comfortable certainly, but I am not happy with how much skin I'm showing right now. Why couldn't I have found a place that offered something more modest?

"I mean, you should have been more sure what you were getting, there's no time to go back on it now. The party is tonight, if you're going to do this then it has to be now." Ehruss hisses something behind me, and I can hear her frustration. I sympathize; she hasn't really had much to do here, and she seems on edge.

"Could you not lure the prey out?" I do not flinch, thank you very much. That is an option I might have to try for. I'm certainly not keen on it, but I could maybe try tricking him into going off alone and working from there. My options are just too limited.

"That's… we'll see how the night plays out, but Viera, you just need to get a location from him. We can be off planet in a matter of hours." I nod. Bruck will be at the party as well, concealed and armed. He has my lightsabers as well if it comes down to it, but hopefully it won't.

I don't want to explain to the Council why I was in a dress inside a casino fighting mobsters. That is not a conversation I'd like to have.

"Indeed, Ehruss keep the engines hot, I expect we'll want to leave the minute we get back, unless things go horribly wrong." I don't expect too much trouble. There's nothing to link me to any of his recent troubles. I've got some good cover, and if he proves more resistant to mental manipulations I won't have locked myself onto a bad course.

"I will prepare and await your return Grashkowh." I make sure everything is in place before heading for the ramp. I've got a rented speeder outside. Bruck is driving, so I'll be able to be dropped off at the entrance all fancy like. It'll also be a quicker method back to the ship than taking the maglev or walking.

Bruck follows me down the ramp, and I thank what little luck I have that I didn't grab heels for this, that would be just too much for me to handle. He falls into step behind me across the bay and out to the entrance where the speeder is parked.

I get in, and he heads for the driver's seat. Here I am, about to mingle with rich people and pretend I'm one of them for a few hours in the hopes of getting alone with a mobster so I can pick his head for information I want. I never want to wear a dress again after this, so annoying.

"You're sure about this plan? It's not too late, we have the list of planets that Black Sun ship will visit, we could try going there." I sigh and lean back in the seat. If I focus on the comforting seat I can forget where I am and what I'm going to do.

"I'm not sure, but we need that storehouse, following the ship could work, but if they realize we're following them then they can set up an ambush for us ahead of time and we can't do anything about it. Other than that we'd have to find and fight our way through the underworld on each planet to get anywhere." He nods and looks back at me briefly before turning his attention to his driving.

"I hope so, you think you can manipulate Arkanus to give up the information?" I shrug, not quite sure myself. Alcohol does loosen inhibitions which should make influencing him easier. That is, if he drinks of course, but odds are he will at least a little bit.

Could I go for some more subtle mental manipulations, make him drink more? If he gets drunker he should become more susceptible to further manipulation. Get him drunk enough and he might be dulled enough to answer any question I ask.

"So, I know I edited you into the guest list, but how do you know the Princess of Onderon?" Satajayu Dendup apparently took my suggestion to get into Corusca mining, and so far it seems like it's going to turn a decent profit.

A little bit of work and we set up a temporary identity as Sumati Achaval, Onderonian native from immigrated Miralukan parents and a representative of the crown and specifically the princess herself.

I really ought to do something nice for her, what does she want? Hm, thought for later, find a gift for the princess for helping me out.

"I saved her life from a crazy sith-magic wielding killer and hired mandalorians. It was the mission that got me my knighthood I think." That wasn't all that long ago actually, huh, funny, it feels like much longer.

"You'll have to tell me about it sometime, sounds interesting." Yeah it was. I take a deep breath and enjoy the ensuing silence as we head for the casino. It's just about evening now, and as we approach the casino I can see a line of people already forming to get inside. Has the whole casino shut down normal operation for this party? Wow, that's a show of affluence if I ever saw one. I can sense a lot of people down there, hundreds of them; how many are staff and how many are guests?

Bruck did say he stopped counting the guestlist after three hundred. Surely they won't notice one extra guest, especially one on the list. The people at the door won't notice most likely, or at least they're not likely to really question it. I hope, but if I'm on the list, then I'm hoping they'll just decide to go with it.

"Alright, I'll drop you off here, park the speeder and sneak inside to meet back up with you. Try not to get yourself exposed before I do that." I can't help but chuckle, that has been the trend lately.

"I'll be fine, even I can avoid a fight for a night." I pointedly tune out the disbelieving scoff as he parks the speeder and I step out. Okay, just head for the back of the line, ignore the looks, and smile like you're rich and generally disdainful of all the poor folk.

I'm not sure anyone buys it, but I'm also not sure anyone's really noticing me besides the security and staff. I don't sense any danger yet, so I made it to the door? Go me! The people in front of me are talking about large-cap stocks, and I understand not a thing. I literally do not know anything they're saying. I have a bad feeling any conversation I get into will be horrifically one-sided.

"Name." Oh, I sympathize, the poor man looks absolutely dead inside as I step up to the entrance. His gaze is going through me rather than at me. The guards behind him are focused though and watching me closely.

"Sumati Achaval." He looks down at the datapad in his hands, thumbing through it for a moment. I assume it's alphabetical; it would be horribly frustrating otherwise. He nods to the guards, and they step aside. He waves me in, and I step into the casino.

Oh boy, I hate this place already. The chandeliers are crystalline patterned in strange shapes I don't understand. Wrodian carpets are laid out over the wood panelled flooring, and there are paintings and tapestries lining the walls..

The entire first floor is packed with people, and the sounds of them mingling is almost deafening as I make my way through the crowd. I can feel people looking at me. I can also feel the sense of disgust or disquiet.

Humanocentric bastards the lot of them, even being a near-human isn't a safe defense. It just means I'm last on the list of species to be enslaved or disposed of. There are no tables with entrees and punch bowls, which is just plain wrong.

How do you have a party and not have that? Instead they've got waiters and waitresses by the dozens moving through the crowd holding aloft trays of little sweets and flutes of alcohol. Might as well then, I flag down a human waite,r and he offers a short smile as he stops before me, holding out a tray.

"Cambrian wine, maam? Well aged, from master Arkanus's private stock." I nod and take a flute, taking a slow sip. Oh, that's good. I want more of this, note for later.

"Thank you." And he's already gone, that's fair I guess, pity he was cute. Okay, I've got alcohol; everything is good. Now how the fuck do I find Benson? Bruck gave me a description, but short-haired smug bastard is not a good description. I can see ten plus smug, short-haired bastards already.

That is the problem now isn't it. I'll just admire the artwork for a bit and watch the crowd until I find him. I mean, it's his party; he's going to be the center of attention when he shows up and starts mingling with the guests.

There's a painting on the wall, but I don't even know what it's supposed to be. It looks historical, could it be related to the founding of the Senex-sector? I don't know, but man is it way more interesting than anything else going on.

Just, here I am, sipping fancy wine, in a dress with a split straight up to the upper thigh, uncomfortable without my nice armor or Jedi robes, please let me just fade into the background. I don't want to be noticed right now.

"Oh, good evening miss, a fine party is it not?" I repress a sigh and smile at the older gentleman, human, seems on the more middle-aged spectrum. There's a woman of similar age beside him, long hair tied up in a bun.

"Oh, yes, certainly a good evening. I'm just happy to be here." Why do Jedi never get serious public relations and communications courses? I mean, what do I say here? The woman laughs softly and oh man, has my disguise failed already?

"First time at one of these gatherings dear." It's not even a question, bam, right through me. I sigh; I can't even deny it. The man smiles and shakes his head.

"Yes, it's quite obvious, you look like you don't know what to do with yourself." They both walk towards me, and I move over to offer them room. There is a lot of traffic going through: waitstaff, guests, and more.

I planned a story for this, let's see how it plays.

"Ah, you caught me. Princess Satajayu wants me to get some experience at these types of gatherings if I'm going to be representing her interests." They both nod appreciatively, and I take another sip of wine to fill the silence.

"So, you're her aide then? Diplomatic, business, any particular focus, and what planet? If you don't mind me asking of course." I offer the woman a quick smile and a nod, absentmindedly tugging at my dress, I still don't like it!

"Oh, right! How impolite of me, I serve as the aide to Princess Satajayu Dendup, Princess of Onderon." They both nod, and wow, no reaction. Oh, you work for the Princess of Onderon? How quaint.

"Ah, how nice, terrible deal about the terrorist attack on Onderon, I do hope the young princess is doing well. But where are my manners? Burin Neir, Minister of Trade for Herdessa, and my wife Miriam." The woman waves, and I reciprocate for both of them. Okay they're nice enough I guess. They're not speciesist, that I can tell, and they aren't commenting on the dress, so hurray!

"Sumati Achaval, personal aide to Princess Satajayu of Onderon, a pleasure to meet the two of you." I extend a hand, and they both shake. This is kind of pleasant actually.

"So, is the princess planning a personal business venture then? I suppose that's one way to distract oneself from the danger she was in." I nod slowly. I hadn't… really thought of that. I should probably get in touch with her, see how she's holding up.

"Yes, she has managed to secure the rights and patents to primary Corusca mining operations on Yavin from the Ministry of Financial Development." Provided she can protect her operations and pays the appropriate taxes on her earnings. But man, with the going price for Corusca gems? She could make a killing. Burin's surprise is quite clear in the Force, and I finish off the last of my wine.

Almost immediately a waitress comes by to take the glass, and I help myself to another, not like I need to worry about being drunk.

"That's quite the investment, and with the increased patrols in the Outer Rim, quite the safe one I imagine. Does the Princess have contacts in the mining industry? I wouldn't call myself an expert, but I do have a number of investments in Alantium mining on Alabash, and would be happy to arrange a meeting." For a fee… hmm, I don't know if she's consulting experts for the operation.

I suppose it couldn't hurt to forward their information to her? I mean, if this pays off then I'll have done something to repay her help here today. Why the hell not, it's not like Sumati Achaval will exist past tonight.

"I can't speak for what the princess will do, but I would be happy to pass on your contact information to her and see what comes of it." A knowing laugh, and I pretend to be in on it, as we pass information back and forth in what I assume is the equivalent of handing out business cards.

"Ah, you'll fit in just fine here miss Achaval, come on, I'll introduce you to some old friends of mine, you'll love them." I'm dragged along by force of personality if nothing else. I'm more than strong enough to break his hold. But, to be honest, I need to do something while I wait for Arkanus to show up.

"Janus! It's been so long, come, meet a new acquaintance of mine!"

That's the next hour or so of the night. Burin and Miriam basically drag me around the floor and introduce me to people I will probably never meet again. Rich businessmen, occasional actual governmental functionaries and apparent celebrities.

It's remarkably easy to laugh and chat, and pretend that I understand the things they talk about. Still uncomfortable certainly, especially all the… less than chaste looks my dress gets. No, this is not something I like at all.

The wine is good, and I manage to get a few more names: folks with mining interests, or more commercial shipping and distribution contacts. I hope Sata can make use of them, the least I can do for her.

"Announcing! Master Benson Arkanus!" Conversation ceases as we all turn our attention to the absolutely giant staircase where a human man in a, presumably, expensive suit walks down to the floor. So this is Benson Arkanus?

Bruck was right, he is a smug bastard.

Everyone claps politely, and I can feel his pride. Oh boy, I have a feeling you are going to be a treat to get information from. How to do it though?

"Thank you everyone, for coming tonight. This evening has been in the works for some time, I hope all of you enjoy the amenities and refreshments. Tonight is the tenth anniversary of the opening of Moon and Star, and we will celebrate appropriately." Applause and glasses raised in toast, mine among them.

I wonder if I could influence him? How strong of a mind does he have? I reach out with the Force, searching for his mind, poking and prodding. Ah, that won't work then, at least not yet. I need something to weaken his mental defenses. I poke at his mind and he pauses slightly, eyes unfocusing slightly.

Oh, he felt that. He doesn't know it was me, or even what I did, but he felt something. Okay, could I use that to push him in my direction? I can't influence him, but could I prod him in a direction I want.

I reach out again, as his eyes rove over the guests, and prod him again. Come on, look in my direction asshole! When his gaze finally settles in my direction I smile, even though he can't see it, and just give him another reassuring prod.

I can feel his confusion, and perhaps a hint of curiosity? Good, that's what I want right now. Get him curious enough to investigate, get him drunk and suggestible, then lead him off somewhere private to get what I want. And there goes Bruck, he's inside, excellent.

Once the whole scene is over, I make my excuses and leave Burin and Miriam, ostensibly to take a little walk and clear my head. In reality, I need to keep on mind-raping the crime lord until he gives up his secrets.

I should probably feel bad about that, but he's a criminal dealing with Black Sun. I have no regrets about this at all. Okay, maybe a few, I'm probably going to have to be flirty with him. Convince him to drink himself stupid, so he doesn't have any inhibitions and doesn't remember anything he tells me.

Where is he… Ah, there he is, talking to a few young gentlemen in suits. I head for the other side of the room and as I walk by, another push to his mind. Just enough for him to notice my presence. He looks up at me, and I fake a blush and hurry along my way.

Gosh this is manipulative, but likely to work. I head for a young woman Miriam introduced me to earlier and talk with her for a little bit. Let him simmer a bit, even as blind to the Force as he is, if I'm too obvious about it he might become suspicious. I'll just let his own mind fill in the reasons why he can't take his eyes off of me.

Where is Bruck? I reach out for him and find him hanging in the corner across from me. Okay he's good, but I do need to find a moment to get him alone and update him on the new plan. I spend another ten minutes or so talking before excusing myself and heading over to look at a sculpture placed by the nearby wall.

Benefit of being a Miraluka, I can watch him without looking directly at him. He's looking at me too. He's noticing me a bit more, not the least thanks to my prodding. I just need a little bit of lust; the simple desire for a quick night of fun. I can get him drunk and get him to spill the information, then I'm good and we're out of here.

Bruck did say he liked art. I prod him just a little bit again while pretending to observe the sculpture. I've no idea what it is, nor do I really care at the moment, but if it makes him more interested in me then by all means.

I have already more than had my fill of high society and dresses that have slits all the way up to my thighs. I want to go back to wearing armor or Jedi robes, kicking ass, and not having to worry about this kind of stuff.

Oh! He's walking in my direction! Okay, I've got the half-full flute of wine. I've let myself become just a little bit tipsy to make this believable, and I just need to make sure he gets drunk enough to be susceptible to mind-tricks.

Okay, deep breaths, I've never done something like this before, but it isn't too hard, right? I've already got his attention, so that's one step down. I just need to stoke his base lusts, get him drunk and alone, then get the information.

"Excuse me, miss, I don't think I've ever seen you at one of my gatherings before." I pretend to be surprised as I turn around to face him. The blush on my cheeks can be mistaken for many things, all of them good for me.

"Oh! Yes, um, sorry, my name is Sumati Achaval, aide to Princess Satajayu of Onderon. I'm a bit new to the position and she wanted me to get some experience walking in the sorts of circles she moves in. I don't know how she got the invitation for me, but she just told me I was to come here and make some connections." I fidget just a little bit, best to give off a nervous vibe to stay in character. He's just about the only person who could undermine this entire disguise if he put thought into it.

"Ah, I hadn't realized that Almir had let the party be this widely known, but if they let you in the door then you must have been invited. Welcome then, Miss Achaval to Nantama." He raises his flute of wine in a mock toast, and I mirror it, smiling shyly. I hope it's shyly at least, I'm trying.

"Oh, please, call me Sumati, Miss Achaval makes me feel like my mother." He sips at his wine and offers a smile that would be charming if I didn't know he was actually a crime boss.

"Very well then, Sumati, I hope you have been enjoying the evening. Are you fond of art perchance?" I glance in the direction of the sculpture just as I reach out to poke him again. And something responds, I'm not sure what to call it really, but it's not dangerous so I don't care too much.

"Ah, I have been enjoying it, the wine is good, and Burin seems to be a very nice man. As for art… I'm honestly more of a fan of history than art, but they go hand in hand, do they not?" He pretends to contemplate it, and fuck him for thinking me dumb, before replying.

"I suppose so, art immortalizes and dramatizes the events of history. That sculpture there, is of Caslav Elegin, the founder of House Elegin and the man who won the Fifth battle of Nantama and incorporated the planet into his holdings." That so, I don't really care too much, but I pretend to be interested anyways. I finish the last of my wine and wait for the inevitable waiter.

"Oh, that's interesting, was he a widespread conqueror?" Bruck's watching all this go down, so I'm good on that end.

Arkanus finishes the last of his wine, and I cheer mentally, before flagging down a waiter. The waiter takes both of our drinks and leaves the both of us with more wine.

"Yes, Caltriona, Senex, Nantama and more worlds were forced under his rule, until his death of course, when his son Marko lost much of what his father earned." I nod slowly, noting the dizziness and easing it just a little with the Force. I don't want to actually be that drunk.

"Ah, so like Freedon Nadd or King Ommin then. It's certainly a fine statue, I can only imagine how expensive it is." His aura flushes with pride, and I'd roll my eyes if I had them. I have only vague memories of my previous life, but I'm sure he reminds me of someone I used to date.

"Oh yes, it was quite difficult to acquire, and I spent no small fortune to do so. It was worth it though, I have a love for art and Senex art in particular." Looking at the numerous paintings, tapestries, and sculptures, I don't doubt it.

"Oh, I imagine so, you're art collection is very impressive, Mr. Arkanus." And just like the narcissist he seems to be, his aura flushes with pride at the compliment.

"Please Sumati, call me Benson, it's only fair after all." I fake a giggle and take another sip of my wine which he matches. I've got you, oh have I got you dialed in. There's a tinge of lust in his aura; I can sense it. I'm going to drain your mind of information sir, and leave you with nothing to show for it.

"Now, I do have to make the rounds tonight, as much fun as it would be to stay here and talk with you. But, perhaps you might keep me company on my rounds?" Oh, even better, I can manipulate you even more while we go.

"Oh, will that be okay? I understand that some people aren't fond of aliens, even a near-human, like me?" It's always a bit difficult to pull off the right sort of questioning tone, but he's just drunk enough to buy it.

"Oh, let them talk, they have to gossip about something do they not?" I pretend to giggle drunkenly at his completely unfunny comment, but he buys it and offers an arm to me. I take it and let him lead me into the crowd.

From there we go from group to group, Arkanus talking jovially with each of them, discussing business and family, politics and more. Half the topics are either completely boring, things I already know, or so veiled in subtext and vague platitudes I'd need several dictionaries to disentangle everything. It's not what I'm here for though, as much as I get a kick out of the completely unsubtle looks of jealousy the young women give me.

If it wouldn't ruin my plans, I'd have told them they weren't missing much. As it stands I just have to play the part of the drunken bimbo. That's fine; I can stomach it for a night, just a night.

But, more importantly, I make sure to keep the man drinking as much as I possibly can. Whenever he finishes his drink and a waiter comes around, I do my best to prod him into taking another drink. As the night drags on he becomes progressively more drunk and more susceptible.

It's hours later as people start to disperse, saying goodbye and filing out. I'm a bit tingly, the effects of the alcohol and my own anxiety weighing on my mind. This is it: he's drunk, I'm pretending to be drunk, I've played to his narcissism, there's an undertone of lust in his aura, only amplified by his drunkenness. This is the best moment. I've just got to get him alone, and we're good.

"Ah, so I guess this is where we part ways? I must say, tonight was a lot of fun, thank you so much for the company..." I make sure to slur my words just enough to sound drunk. He looks me up and down, eyes lingering on the slit of my dress and the bare hint of shorts underneath.

"If you wish, Sumati, but I would offer you an invitation to say. I have quite the extensive collection of art and wines in my quarters. I'd be… pleased if you'd let me show them to you." And the trap is sprung, thank you for being drunk. I make sure to flush at the insinuation and sway a little drunkenly.

"I-If you wish, I-I wouldn't mind." The anxiety is there, even though it's never going to go that far, but now there's a building determination. It's almost time. He smiles and offers me his arm as the last of the guests leave, speaking quickly to some of his staff as he leads me up the stairs.

Bruck follows behind us, good on him, and I make sure to giggle as Arkanus stumbles a little. We just have to get to his private quarters, out of the sight of any cameras or guards, and he's mine.

His quarters are at the end of a long hallway, and as he leads me through, I'm already using the Force to sober up. The door closes, and I abandon all pretenses of drunkenness and flattery.

"Tell me, do you work with Black Sun?" I add the Force to my suggestion, and he flusters under my questioning and mental influence. He's clearly fighting it, his own natural instinct trying to resist, but the alcohol was potent and he drank a lot.

"I-I-I… yes, I do. They supply me with things I want in exchange for credits and the contacts I can provide." Okay, good, but I expected something like that so it isn't too surprising.

"And does Black Sun have a storehouse in the Sector?" He's still resisting, but it's a losing battle, and he crumples even faster than the last question.

"Yes, on Bator Bai, they're holding an art piece that I've been waiting for. The coordinates are on a datacard in a hidden bottom of my office desk." Okay, so that's what he was waiting on. I shouldn't have expected anything less. Hmm, what else do I need to know?

"Is there anything special I need to know to approach." There's no resistance anymore. He's completely under my thumb, as long as I don't try to make him do anything contrary to his own personal interests.

"Yes. the password is Aurek-Besh-One-Four-Nine-Nine, their defenses will shoot down any ship that doesn't transmit the password." I commit the password to memory and look around his quarters, anything I can use here?

"Do you have any datacards with information on your dealings here?" He frowns for a moment, but gives in.

"In the office desk, third drawer." I smile and pat him on the head.

"Now, go straight to bed, you had a very sensual night with Sumati and she was gone when you awoke." He nods slowly and shuffles off drunkenly to his bedroom while I make my way towards his office. C'mon, luck be a lady.

The office has a number of small art pieces and decorative plants. On the desk sits a fancy looking data terminal and in the drawer, a collection of datacards. Below that, the bottom of the floor seems hollow and I lift it up for the hidden datacard. I help myself to all of them, and grab my own datapad to begin copying down the information. No need to let him know anything's wrong.

There's what looks like a small statuette on the office desk. It looks nice, and if it isn't stolen from someone else, I could probably sell it for something. Or gift it to Satajayu, either or. I think that's it then. He's in bed now, already drifting off, and so I head for the door where Bruck is waiting.

He drops out of concealment and looks at me oddly, then at the direction where Benson went. I get the distinct impression he's annoyed, but I can't tell why.

"What, he finish that quickly?" I shrug and hand him the datapad. He looks down at it and grins before pocketing them.

"It's on Bator Bai and needs a password, I've got it committed to memory."

"Okay, so we're finally leaving that planet?" Bruck seems as done with this place as I am. I nod and head for the door. Getting out of here won't be too hard.

"Yeah, I want out of this dress as soon as I possibly can." C'mon Jedi robes, sweet, comfy, modest Jedi robes.

"A pity." I feel his eyes on me just before he slips into concealment, and I sigh. "That dress looks good on you." I really hate him sometimes.


	58. Interlude XVII

Desevro 36BBY

The falling snow drifted lazily down through the atmosphere and onto the urban sprawl below it. The inhabitants, used to such things, trudged mindlessly through the growing snowdrifts, huddled tightly in their warm coats from the cold.

Jigani Port was busy even at this time of night. The spaceport served as the main thoroughfare for traders coming through Desevro. As such there were a number of cantinas and clubs catering to the spacer clientele.

One such cantina, The Rusty Spanner, was named for the rusty hydrospanner permanently wedged above the doorframe. Many had tried to remove it, and there was a running bet over what trick the owner had used to get it so lodged, but no answer had emerged.

Still as far as establishments for drinking went it wasn't so bad. The room was comfortably warm, and the drinks were good and cheap enough to afford. A bit shady, mostly bounty-hunters hanging around the bounty board, but otherwise fine.

Tomas leaned back in his seat, his Wan-Shen propped up beside him, and took a slow sip of his ale. He was so tired, six weeks of running across Desevro, painstakingly chasing down every last member of this pirate gang.

They'd holed up, enlisted others, set traps, and more. His clothes were singed and torn, and there was a bright red bruise on his shoulder from where a suicidal attack sent him sailing into a durasteel wall.

Yeah, the ale was so very nice and refreshing. The comfortable buzz alleviating the painful throbbing. He ran a hand tiredly through silver hair and turned his attention to the smashball game on the holonet projector in the corner. He didn't really care for the game itself, but anything to distract himself.

His datapad pinged, and he reached into his pocket for it quickly, a message, from who? It couldn't be Cerone; he'd said he would be out of contact for a while, some business in the Rim. It was from… his mother?

He opened the message quickly. It would be good to hear from her again and find out what his sisters were up to. His eyes scanned the message slowly before stopping. Viera? She'd gone to his mother's shop?

Admittedly, there was a pleasant feeling, hearing about his friend again, and that she'd gone to his mother for patronage? He hadn't actually expected her to do that, when he told her about his mother's occupation as an armorer, years ago. That she'd overpaid was somehow unsurprising and simultaneously pleasing. His family could use all the money it could get.

At the same time, he could only dread the possibility of whatever stories his family could have told her about him. Unbidden memories of half a dozen things he never wanted anyone else to know emerged, and he groaned silently, downing the shot of ale in one go.

He read through the rest of the message and found himself frowning. Senex sector? Black Sun? He was not at all surprised, and he was even less surprised, though partly embarrassed, that his mother had told her he would be coming to help.

Well, if he didn't go then his mother would never let him hear the end of it, not to mention it could potentially damage his friendship. Though that wasn't to say he wouldn't have gone anyways. It sounded like fun, and Black Sun did deserve whatever trouble Viera caused them.

"Well, guess I'll start heading that way in the morning." He'd need to find transport heading that way, then find her from there. He'd have to find her comm frequency and arrange a meeting in Senex.

A burst of excited chatter behind him interrupted his train of thought as he turned to watch the gathering crowd around the bounty board. A new bounty posted? Obviously, but it must have been a good one to set all the hunters and patrons who enjoyed their stories talking. He watched as one of the waitresses left the group and walked in his direction to the bar.

He waved his hand to flag her down and offered a cordial smile as she approached.

"Hey, what's all the commotion over there?" He pointed in the direction of the bounty board, and she nodded, looking from the board and the crowd around it, then to him.

"Oh, a new bounty was just posted, someone posted a bounty on a Jedi Knight." What? He'd have to let Viera know, but that wasn't common at all. Assigning a bounty on a Jedi was a dangerous affair. Once the Order found out, whoever posted the bounty would be in the Order's crosshairs.

Not to mention the whole problem with trying to take down a Jedi Knight anyways. Someone would need to put a lot of money on it to incentivize prospective hunters to take the risk.

"How much is the bounty?" he asked, because really it would have to be an insane amount of credits. The waitress looked back at the bounty board again, and Tomas could practically feel the excitement in her voice.

"They're saying it's twenty-million credits." He stopped himself from spitting out his drink, but only barely. That was an insane amount of credits for a bounty. Oh, certainly some rich businessman could spend that money in a single investment, but for the average bounty hunter? That would be the bounty of a lifetime. Hell, the bounty of a generation.

"Who's the unlucky Jedi?" Viera could pass the news on to the Council if they didn't know already. He went to drink another shot of ale.

"Oh, some Miraluka woman, Viera Sarat I think the name was." This time he was not able to stop the spit take, coughing harshly as the waitress fussed over the spill. He didn't really notice it too much.

Sobering up took only a second, as did grabbing his Wan-Shen. He slapped down some credits to pay for his drink, as well as an extra tip for the trouble, and dashed out of the cantina.

He needed to find a ship.


	59. Knight Errant: Chapter Fourteen

36BBY Bator Bai.

Three days to Bator Bai, counting time spent detouring to grab some cold weather gear for Bruck and Ehruss, and here we are. We're all assembled in the Horizon's cockpit as Ehruss guides the ship towards the planet itself. We haven't seen any other ships yet, nor has there been any indication of planetary defenses.

Which means nothing really, just that they're very subtle about their defenses here. Even Black Sun can't operate that openly, but there's no settlements on this planet, at least no official settlements.

"Give me the coordinates to this place." Bruck says, sitting in the copilot's seat. I hand him the datacard and he plugs it in, looking over the information before giving course corrections to Ehruss.

"So Viera, what's the plan when we get to this place?" I look at him and shrug. It should be obvious. I'm wearing my armor; we're going to go in fighting almost immediately. But Bruck knows that. He's asking for more specifics.

"Well, the minute we land, I want you to go into concealment and find this place's comm center. When you do, just break it, grab any information you can, but I want them unable to send out any messages at all." He nods and leans back in his seat.

"Ehruss and I will begin our attack almost immediately, which should be plenty distracting for you. We'll sweep the base, grab anything important and move on." As soon as I have confirmation that comms are down, I can use my lightsaber on them.

"What if they surrender?" Huh, good question. What am I going to do in that situation.

"I… guess we'll lock them in a room with some food and supplies, and send a message to nearby security forces that they're here." Not the desired solution, but morally the best option I have available to me. Bruck shrugs and goes back to the controls.

We're getting pretty close to the planet now, are they going to demand identification? Should we just transmit the authorization code, it'd probably be safer to do that, right?

"Bruck, transmit the authorization code I got from Arkanus." Better to be paranoid than be taken down by some ground emplacement or something. Bruck taps in the authorization code and begins transmitting in the direction of the planet. With luck, it'll be good, and they won't shoot us down.

There's silence for a long moment, longer than I'm comfortable with, as we wait for landing confirmation, or to be blown out of the sky. Here ends Viera Sarat, blown out of the sky by Black Sun ground emplacements.

"Freighter Horizon, you're clear to land. It's about time Arkanus came for his package." I breathe out a sigh of relief as landing data is transmitted to our navicomputer. We're in, and that base is as good as ours.

"Copy that, we're inbound, eta ten minutes." I head back, out of the cockpit as Ehruss and Bruck continue the landing. I head for the cargo hold where Aladaa is busy counting and inventorying everything inside.

She took an immediate interest in the leftover supplies and cargo from when I took the ship, and busied herself in sorting it out. I'm not sure why, but hey if it keeps her happy and entertained then why not?

"Aladaa, we're landing soon." She looks up at me and nods, working on a datapad.

"And you want me to stay on the ship?" I nod, smart girl. While I'm willing to bring her along with me, taking her directly into danger is a bit much even for me. This ship is armored and secure, and I know she can use a blaster in an emergency.

"Yeah, as soon as we're off the ship, I want you to bring up the ramp, lock it, and wait for us to return. Do not leave the ship until we give the all clear." She nods her understanding, and I figure that's going to be good enough. I've got other things to worry about in any case.

"Also, be careful, there's explosives in there. Don't touch any of the grenades or other explosive material without one of us helping." She gives me a thumbs up, absorbed in her datapad, and I shrug. Fine, this works as well.

I head for a crate in the far corner and open it with a small smile. Hello grenades, my sweet, sweet grenades. A few frags, some thermal detonators, no flashbangs, I have others with me. I need a blaster as well, at least until comms are blocked and I can lightsaber shit up.

Alright, grenades, blaster pistol, I've got my armor on, and the helmet is on the galley table. Grab it, put on the helmet. I'm not sure if them seeing a Miraluka would raise any flags, but I'm not going to risk it. This goes off on my terms, if I can help it.

There's a thumping sound that signals we've landed. Bruck's already heading back towards the ramp, and I give him a quick nod that he returns before dropping into concealment. Ehruss comes back through a few minutes later with her armor on and A280 blaster rifle on her back. She gives me a silent nod, and I can feel the anticipation building inside her.

She really didn't like not having much to do on Nantama. I can sympathize, but it looks like she's going to get her satisfaction fighting the Black Sun here. How many of them are there I wonder? There can't be that many, this place is mostly for storage but they'll have some guards I bet. Twenty-thirty at most, I shouldn't expect too many more.

I press the ramp button and listen to the sound of the lowering ramp. I can feel the adrenaline pumping, that sensation of knowing a fight's about to start and the readiness to attack. The Force swirls around me, warning me of dangers as they present themselves.

The ramp touches the ground, and I stride out, Ehruss behind me. Bruck slips around us and rushes off to find the communications room. He's concealed, so I'm not too worried about him, instead my attention is on the half a dozen thugs in front of me. I see three humans, two rodians and an Abyssin. All of them are armed and tense. They think I'm a client so they're not drawing their weapons, but they're cautious nonetheless.

"It's about time Arkanus sent someone to pick up his relic, we've been waiting for weeks, he needs to learn we aren't his personal delivery service." One of the humans steps forward, hand on his belt, conveniently next to his blaster pistol. He looks the two of us up and down and frowns.

"You don't look like Arkanus's type of footmen, he expanding his hiring practices?" He's suspicious, ah I guess there was no way around it. Our disguises weren't meant to last very long anyways. Ehruss tenses as I shrug.

"He needed some extra guns, the pay was good, this was our first assignment." The man nods slowly, seemingly accepting the answer. I can see the tension in his aura though, and his hand's creeping towards the blaster on his belt. I wonder what tipped him off?

"Huh, that so, when did Arkanus reverse his policy on hiring women?" Oh, so he was a sexist as well as drug running fucker; I regret nothing now. I guess that's what gave me away. I shrug and place my hand on my belt. The other five are reaching for their weapons as well. It's about to go down.

"I don't know, I'm just here to take this storehouse." My left hand lashes out quickly as Ehruss dives to the side for cover. He draws his blaster only for my left hand to grip it and force it upward. He fires wildly into the ceiling as my free hand reaches for my own blaster. The others have gone for their blasters as well.

The man tries to punch at me, but my armor deflects it easily enough, and I fire a shot point blank into his chest, dropping him as I run for cover. Blasterfire lights up the space I used to be in, following me to the cover of a nearby crate.

The ramp to the Horizon starts raising up, good job Aladaa, as I stand from cover and open fire on the nearest Black Sun. Ehruss is on the other side of the hanger, returning fire as well. The five other Black Sun have scattered to cover as well but they're not in good cover compared to us.

Ehruss downs one of the rodians with a well placed shot and I take down one of the other humans as well. The base alarm starts blaring. Good, I want them to come rushing my way. If I strain a bit, I can see further down. There seem to be two levels below alongside a freight elevator. There might be more below that but I don't know.

Speaking of, there's about eight people on this floor heading towards the hanger. Hello there Black Sun thugs, rushing armed and ready to defend your base. A pity you're all about to die horribly.

I grab a thermal detonator from my belt and wait, I have to time this just right. Three, two, one, I prime the thermal detonator and toss it. The Force guides the detonator across the hanger, and straight for the door.

This is almost too cruel. The door opens, the detonator goes in and explodes. Eight Black Sun die in a single explosion. Three Black Sun left in the hanger. Ehruss fires a timed shot, make that two Black Sun. I take the opportunity to fire on the Abyssin while he's distracted, and he goes down easily enough.

One to go; this is too easy. I do not like how easy this is. The last Black Sun takes aim at me only to take a shot from Ehruss, and I stand warily. There's no one around us, but that was just far too simple. Where's the other shoe dropping? I make my way to the door to the hallway, and Ehruss follows.

The door opens to carnage; eight bodies litter the entrance, and I step gingerly around them.

"Many points earned Grashkowh, be proud." I nod halfheartedly. I'm still worried about whatever surprises are in store. Where are the rest of the people in the facility? We killed fourteen here, I saw about two dozen more, there are none left on this level.

There are ten on the next level down and the rest on the bottom storage level. They're arming themselves with the weapons down there perhaps? I imagine there's something down there they think is worth actually using against me, that's a little worrying. My comlink pings, and I reach for it.

"What's up Bruck?" It has to be him; there's no one else who it could be.

"I've got their comms down, you're free to move." I nod and draw my lightsaber from the compartment in my armor.

Igniting it is a comforting feeling that I've missed a lot. Sure there are advantages to learning how to use blasters, but the lightsaber is the weapon I'm most comfortable with, and I'd choose it every time.

Okay, so the only paths down to the lower levels are the freight elevator or a set of stairs. Looks like both are being watched, and I wouldn't trust them to not be able to control the elevator remotely.

There's too much in between levels to make cutting through viable, stairs it is then. I make my way to the staircase and plunge my lightsaber into the door when it refuses to open. I whistle a tune as I cut my way through and push the door inwards.

As I step into the stairwell, blasterfire erupts from below. It's easy to fall back into deflecting the shots into the walls or back at them. The shock in their aura is expected; hey it's a Jedi, not some bounty hunter or mercenary. An armored Jedi, whatcha gonna do? Ehruss follows behind me, firing and using me as cover.

Heh, I'm mobile cover.

The ten Black Sun on the bottom level still haven't moved. They have to hear the blasterfire right? Why aren't they coming to help their comrades? Something isn't right here. I can't really see what's down there with much accuracy.

The Force gives me a warning, and I deflect the next shot back. The woman who shot at me takes the deflected bolt in the chest and drops to the ground. I remove one of my frag grenades from my belt and use the Force to give it a toss into the doorway below. I hear the cries as they try to flee the blast radius and then the detonation. Okay, six people left on floor two, that's easy enough. They've fled further into the level, looking for better defensive points maybe.

Bruck drops out of concealment behind us just as we approach the door. I turn to him and Ehruss and point to the door.

"You two go ahead and deal with them, there are ten more waiting downstairs, I've got a bad feeling about what they're doing." They both nod, and Bruck returns to concealment to go in ahead of Ehruss. It shouldn't take them long to finish off the others, and I continue downstairs.

They aren't barricading the door, nor are they trying to retreat up the freight elevator. They're running around the very large room down there but otherwise doing… nothing productive it seems.

I've got a clearer view of what's in there now, and oh my what is that? There's a ton of crates and other stuff you'd expect of a storage room, but they're working around one open crate in particular. Are those droids?

They're using battle droids on me? I'm sure that'll work. They don't look like B1's though. I should have grabbed an ion grenade or two; I just didn't expect to find droids down here.

I step into the large room and immediately begin deflecting blasterfire from the Black Sun members. The droids haven't come online yet. I can destroy them first; I begin redirecting fire at the droids.

The blasterbolts that hit do nothing… that's not good. There's a humming sensation as half a dozen droids come online. Their 'eyes' alight and fix on me. They raise their blaster rifles and open fire while simultaneously moving with considerable speed to surround me.

That's not good.

Where's the nearest cover? There's a crate to my right; that'll do. I start moving in that direction, deflecting bolts back at the droids to little effect. The droids either dodge or tank the hits with little damage. They're decent shots themselves and smart enough to fire from multiple angles. I wonder how they deal with explosives though?

I've got a few thermal detonators and frag grenades left, so I prime a frag grenade and manipulate its flight towards the nearest droid. It's harder than before. I've got to work harder to defend against these droids than I might otherwise have. But the frag grenade lands on target and detonates.

The droid is blown back, its entire right side scarred and buckled, but otherwise it seems to be working okay. The other five droids spread out. Two activate jetpacks and take to the air while one moves to the left to flank me.

Shit, they're smart enough to adapt as well? What the hell are these, who built them, and for what purpose? I take cover behind the crate and watch with some consternation as they advance towards me. The two in the air are heading above me while the remaining four split off to come at me from both sides of the crate.

I don't like this. Droids aren't supposed to be smart, unless they're MagnaGuard or another very specially designed droid. They're not too tough though. I'd kill to know what makes them resistant to blasterfire, but they clearly are damaged by heavy weapons fire. Unless they prove resistant to lightsaber blades though, I don't expect to have any problems here.

Okay, thermal detonator time, let's see how their armor holds up against a heavier explosive.

I need those two with the jetpacks out of the air. They're closing in slowly, cautiously, and with a suspicious amount of intelligence. Which is strange, droids are meant to be expendable, especially as soldiers. That's why the B1's remained the backbone of the CIS army despite their inefficiency. They were still worth more than their low-cost.

That someone is obviously shelling out more credits and hardware on battle droids so advanced is troubling. They're using tactics and advanced targeting. The only thing lacking is heavier weapons that could seriously trouble me, defenses aside.

"It'd be kind of bullshit if I caused the MagnaGuards to be introduced so early." Timing things is easy now, and I wait till the two approach before priming the thermal detonator and launching it into the air at them.

They reel back, but not in time to prevent themselves from being caught in the explosion. I hunker down close to the crate as the detonator explodes, sending shrapnel and droid parts raining down on the metal crate.

Immediately I summon the Force and push the crate at the three on my right. The droids can't scramble away in time as the heavy mass of durasteel slams through them and goes further into the cargo bay.

The last droid begins to rapidly backpedal away, firing rapid shots in my direction, but it's easy enough to deflect them away. I advance steadily towards it and lash out with my lightsaber. Thankfully it's not lightsaber resistant, and the blade cuts and decapitates easily. Okay, that's done. Now what about the rest of them?

I raise my lightsaber as blasterfire fires out at me from further into the cargo bay. The ten remaining Black Sun members have taken cover in the maze of crates in the back. Okay, pinned down, no hope of escape, and they choose to fight? Alright then, their deaths I guess.

I still have grenades though, and they're clumped up in isolated groups. Fire in the hole! I prime a frag grenade and send it flying for the largest clump of four as I advanced towards the the others, deflecting shots back as I go.

The explosion shakes the room as I advance. A reflected shot takes out another, and then we're halfway to done. The other five don't think to surrender, is prison really that horrible here? Well it's Senex, so I suppose it would be slave labor or something like that. Maybe death is preferable to that?

In any case they have no chance. As I deflect, more and more fall until at last the final Black Sun member slumps to the ground from a blaster bolt to his chest. Okay, everyone's dead, go me? I walk back to the wreckage of the droid I disabled and examine it.

I'm not very knowledgeable about droids though, so it means nothing to me. I wonder if someone smarter might recognize what the hell this thing is made of. Okay, salvage the droid, detonate the rest of it.

I pick up the severed top half of the battle droid and make my way back out of the freight level and back upstairs. Bruck and Ehruss have taken care of the second level; the storehouse is clear. Now to see if there's anything interesting in the databanks here. There's got to be a ledger and shipping manifest somewhere right?

Bruck leans out of a sideroom as I approach and gives me a thumbs up. He looks down at the battle droid in my arms with noticeable confusion.

"We're all clear Viera, what's that thing?" I shrug and hold the droid out to him to let him inspect it.

"Found them downstairs, some new battle droid design. It was remarkably resistant to blasterfire and had some very advanced AI for a battledroid." He looks it over for a moment before shrugging and handing it back.

"I haven't heard anything about that, sounds a bit high-end for Black Sun don't you think?" Sort of, I'm pretty sure they didn't design them, but they're selling them nonetheless.

"Maybe, but they got them from somewhere with the intention of selling them presumably. Come on, let's go see if we can't find a shipping manifest or ledger. Maybe get our next target." He nods, and we start going from room to room.

Bunks, small offices, a mess hall, but not much else. We eventually have to give up on the second level and go back to the first level and the offices there. This turns out to be more promising as I look over the various datapads and terminals.

"One of these has to have it, right?" Ehruss shrugs, and I sigh. Alright, time to get started I guess. The three of us each grab a datapad and start sorting through it. Okay, a lot of notes on when shipments arrive, and when they leave, but not many details on where they're coming from or where they're going.

"Hey Viera, wasn't Osmani one of the planets we lifted from the Black Sun transport?" It was. I turn my attention to Bruck who's looking over a datapad.

"It looks like there's a shipment mentioned from some guy named Drax. Could be another lead?" As good as anything we've got right now. I set my datapad down and head for the door.

"It's a start, keep looking through, and see if you can't find anymore information. Also, try to find the ledger for what they've got down in storage, if we know what's been going through here then maybe we can backtrack it to where it came from." He nods, and I head back towards the ship, attention focused on the datapad. There has to be something I can use here. Names and locations I don't recognize. There's some sort of code here, but I certainly don't understand what it means. Hmm, something to ponder, could I send it back to the Temple analysis division and see if they can't crack it?

The Force warns me, and I stop in place. There's a bunch of boxes and crates in front of me now. I'm fairly sure those weren't there when we landed. Ah, I almost walked into that…. Where did it come from? I look downwards at the hoversled carrying them all, and then at Aladaa.

"What are you doing?" I look back at the ship; the cargo ramp is down. Aladaa looks at me a bit sheepishly and gestures at the hoversled.

"I… uhh, I went to go take a look at the cargo bay?" Okay, walked into that one I guess.

"And why did you do that?" She looks at me for a moment before sighing.

"I was kinda hoping there was some worthwhile stuff to loot. I found a ledger down there, grabbed some stuff that looked expensive." Wait what?

"The ledger? You found it?" She nods and hands me a datapad. I look through it carefully, explosives, drugs, electronics, other stolen shit. Yeah this is the ledger alright.

There's a note here marked 'Hunter X-5', which I assume to be the droids I destroyed. Okay, we've got a name for them at least. I glance at the rest before looking back at her.

"Okay, and what did you take?" She shrugs and points at the hoversled.

"There was some Ambergris down there, so I took it, then some electronics, and other nondescript cargo. I got some blasters and grenades for you as well." She adds the last bit a little hopefully. Okay that was good, and really I'm just annoyed she left the ship without telling me.

"And was this all you planned to take?" She shakes her head and points back to the freight elevator.

"Well, there was some wine and other stuff down there I hadn't gotten to yet, we've got the room for it." Wine… well, first rule of adventuring, right? I set the ledger down on top of one of the crates and look down at her.

"Alright, let's get this on board and then we can go back for the other stuff. I'm calling dibs on the wine though." She grins, and we start hauling the cargo towards the ship.


	60. Interlude XVIII

36BBY Onderon.

Princess Satajayu Dendup looked over the reports and figures Samarj had sent her. Her study had become filled with datapads upon datapads of information. She could see a hint of the morning light spilling in around the window curtains. How long had she been working? She wasn't pulling an all-nighter, she knew that, but it had been still dark when she began her work.

"Ugh, this is exhausting," she muttered and slumped over her desk. She picked one datapad off of the pile and glanced over its contents, sighing in something akin to relief.

"Okay, so the Ministry of Licenses and Permits has finished approving my request." That was good. She had underestimated how much paperwork and bureaucracy was needed to get into business, even something as simple as mining operations. She'd had to go to the Ministry of Economic Development and convince the Minister she wasn't leaching potential avenues of development from nearby star systems.

Once that was done she had to go to the Ministry of Commerce and register her mining corporation with their registry and basically agree to pay the taxes and other fees associated with corporations in the Republic. That was arguably the simplest part. She'd done plenty of business studies, she knew what commercial regulations she had to agree to, and what she'd need.

Then, once that was done, she had to go to the Ministry of Licenses and Permits to register her claim to the Yavin mining zone, and that alone was hassle because she needed all the forms in triplicate, sealed and authorized by the Minister of Commerce, Minister of Finance, and Minister of Economic Development.

And now she was all set with the paperwork. That just left the actual part of getting the equipment and workers in place to get started. And that was just another set of problems that left her with such a headache.

Sighing she stood and walked over the food dispenser in the corner of the study. The urge to just ignore it and work through the morning was there, but as she'd been reminded, ignoring food was a bad idea in the long term.

A few minutes later she was sat at the small couch in her study, a nice breakfast in hand and even more importantly, a cup of caf. Nice and dark, just the way she liked it, and now she was already feeling better. All the more preparation for when she had to go back to trying to find a good price for mining equipment and trained personnel.

She'd spent the entire day yesterday doing just that, and the prices she'd been offered were quite frankly ludicrous. Her grandfather had offered funding to get her started, but she wasn't going to go to him asking for as much credits as the initial vendors she'd perused were demanding.

The door chimed and her brother, Prince Sadhana, walked into the room. He was dressed in a set of more comfortable clothes today, more suited for athletic pursuits than princely duties. He looked over the room and then to her with a small smile.

"Morning sis, good to see you up and about. You're actually eating breakfast too, I'd expected to have to drag you down to the kitchen." He smirked, and she frowned.

"Well, as I have been repeatedly told, it isn't healthy to avoid eating in favor of work." She wasn't that bad; they were always overreacting, Sadhana especially, but it couldn't hurt to do it if it made them happier. Sadhana chuckled and walked across the room to sit on the couch across from her. He had a datapad in his hands, and she looked at it curiously.

"Well, if I'd known that all it took to convince you to take better care of yourself, was a pretty Jedi bodyguard then I'd have asked for a Jedi long ago." She scowled and pretended not to hear him; time for a conversation change.

"So, what're you doing today? You're not dressed for a meeting." The benefit of not being the heir, she could get away with not going to the meetings and parties her brother went to. Sadhana shrugged, and by the way he smiled, he knew she was trying to change the subject. Thankfully he seemed willing to let it slide.

"I'm training with the royal guard this morning. We're going to do some running and then some marksmanship practice." She nodded and leaned back on the couch.

"You should join us too, sis. It's not that hard and even a little bit will help you. I know grandfather has increased security, but you can't be too careful." Another sigh, he'd asked this question too many times over the past few months.

"I'm fine Sadha, you said yourself that security has been increased, and I've never really liked fighting." The adrenaline, the thought of killing an enemy, none of it appealed to her. She was a builder, not a fighter. She wanted to create, not destroy.

"There won't always be a Jedi on hand to save you, I worry about you Sat, that's all. After what happened to mom and dad, why wouldn't I?" He frowned, and she felt suddenly guilty. There was no need to be, but since their parents had died, he'd stepped in for them, in some ways.

"I'll be fine, I've got you, don't I?" She smiled, and he wavered almost immediately, eventually sighing and standing up to leave. He looked down at the datapad in his hand for the briefest moment before handing it to her.

"This message came in for you today, from your personal assistant Sumati, since when do you have a personal assistant?" She took the datapad, and it took longer than she'd have liked to remember what that name meant. When she did, she chuckled and waved off his concerns.

"Oh, it's just something I thought I'd need, with all the work that I have piling up, even for me it's getting stressful." He nodded, seemingly accepting the reasoning before heading out with a parting word.

Now alone in the comfort of her study she looked down at the message Viera had sent her. When she'd initially heard from Viera she'd been all too happy to help the woman who'd saved her life. And it sounded so exciting, infiltrating a high society party to find information held by a crime lord. She imagined secret meetings, code words, and high speed chases across the city. Just like the holovids she'd watched with her brother when they were kids.

After what Viera had done for her, helping her set up a fake identity to sneak in was the least she could do. As far as she was concerned, she still owed Viera something for saving her from being sacrificed in some arcane ritual she couldn't understand.

Reading over it she found herself smiling fit to burst. When she got to the end, all she could do was laugh. Oh, she'd only known Viera briefly but this seemed so very like the padawan she'd gotten to know.

Viera saved her life, called in arguably a tiny favor, and then 'repaid' her for the favor by finding her the one thing she needed the most right now. She briefly looked over and memorized the name, Burin Neir, committing it to memory. She'd have to get in touch with the Trade Minister of Herdessa later, if he could find her a better deal on mining equipment then she'd take it.

Of course that left her even more in debt to the remarkable young woman who'd once again saved her, maybe not from mortal danger this time, but certainly from a long frustrating search.

"Now, how do I pay you back for this?" she wondered to herself. Really that woman didn't make it easy for her. What did you gift a Jedi? They weren't supposed to have any possessions aside from their robes and lightsaber. Everything else they used only as needed.

Credits maybe? She was apparently doing some undercover work. She might get into a situation where she needed funds but couldn't get any. In that situation, surely any source of credits would be good right?

Yeah, that sounded good. Her personal assistant needed to be well-paid after all; it was such an important position. She went back to her desk and opened the data terminal. She needed to send a message to Burin Neir, and then organize a payment to 'Sumati Achaval'.

She giggled softly to herself, maybe 'Sumati' would be needed again sometime. It couldn't hurt to keep her on the rolls for her new company.


	61. Knight Errant: Chapter Fifteen

Osman 36BBY.

I lean back in my chair, looking out from the porch of this tiny cafe in the capital city of Osman. The naming scheme here is rather subpar if you ask me, but I suppose compared to some it's fair enough. It's otherwise a nice place though, good tea, plenty of shops.

"Still no sign of Drax, you think he's gone to ground?" I look over to Bruck as he sips at his caf. I shrug in response and go back to observing. The weather's really nice, not too warm, not too cold, and there's a comfortable breeze to go along with it.

A lot of people too, I've probably seen hundreds of people go by since we got here: humans mostly, but rodians, Twileks, Togorians, and more. A fair number of slaves as well: Hutlarian warrior slaves, Seratians, thin-furred Kedorzhan, and small four-armed Nartians. I think the worst part is how little the people react to them; they're so used to just ignoring the slaves till they need them. The casual dismissal of their existence twists my stomach into knots of anger.

It's also very telling of who's not native to Senex-sector. Occasionally someone stops to look at a passing slave, furtive glances, suppressed fits of anger and pity. They react in very clear ways that natives of Senex don't. It's a good exercise in observation, but it's not telling me much.

"Viera?" Bruck asks again, and I shake my head. I'm getting distracted again. I take another sip of my tea and set the cup down with a soft sigh.

"I don't know, Bruck. We've been here a week and we haven't found him. He could be hiding from the law, or other criminal elements on Osman, or he could have somehow known we were coming." I'm not sure how he'd know though. We're no elusive shadows, but we've done a decent job of covering our tracks I thought.

"Maybe there was a camera on Bator Bai that we didn't catch that transmitted our actions to Black Sun?" Bruck says, but even he sounds doubtful. We checked thoroughly before we blasted the storehouse sky high. With the jamming in place, nothing should have gotten out.

But it still doesn't really explain why we've had not even a hint of luck with finding the Black Sun contact on this planet. What's worse is that we've certainly heard of him. I even sent Bruck to try and ask around, just on the off chance that I would be recognized.

Bruck found numerous shady dealers and underground folks who've told us all about Drax, most of it unflattering, but it proves he exists. It's just that no one knows where the man is; some people think he's hiding, others that he got killed by a whore he hired. There's plenty of speculation, but nothing concrete.

"Have you had any luck with making bribes?" I ask, and Bruck shrugs. I frown at him, and he sighs.

"I have no idea, they've made all sorts of promises, but none of them has gotten back to me, yet. With luck, they'll find out where he lives and we can go to him directly. Maybe your Echani friend can offer some advice when he catches up to us." I nod slowly, thinking of Tomas and his message.

I've got a bounty on me, and twenty million credits at that. Should I feel flattered that someone has it out for me so much that they're willing to put that high a bounty on me? I mean, that's not an insignificant bounty. Sure, I'm a Jedi, but every hired gun or scoundrel in the galaxy is going to want a bounty like that. And what if some of the more dangerous hunters decide they want a piece of me?

Could I defeat Aurra Sing, Jango Fett, Cad Bane, or Durge? I'm not a hundred percent sure and that worries me quite a bit. That Tomas is coming to help out is a bit more reassuring. Bruck and Ehruss are tough, but Tomas is a much heavier hitter than either of them, and that's what I need right now.

Speaking of Ehruss though.

"With luck he can, but tell me, you know what Aladaa and Ehruss are up to?" As soon as we arrived, Aladaa practically begged for someone to go with her to the market. Ehruss volunteered, and the two disappeared for almost literally a full day. When they came back it was with a cart load of credits and goods.

I'm not sure I want to know what they were doing. They didn't take anything off the ship, so none of the shit we looted from the storehouse got sold, but somehow they come back with more credits and goods than they left with.

"Aladaa said she'd found a buyer for the Ambergris but not much else. You should have seen Aladaa looking at that payment from Satajayu, it was like seeing a starving man at a buffet." I chuckle softly, yeah that sounds like her.

I'm a bit annoyed though. I did all that to pay Sata back for all the risk she put herself in by creating that fake identity, then she decides to send me money back? And half a million credits, come on, how much money does she have to spend? I got her on the holocomm to talk to her about it, but nothing came of it. She just giggled at my frustrations.

"Well, she's safe with Ehruss at least, but I'm a bit worried at how well they get along. I mean, I'm happy that they're not hostile to each other, but I have a feeling that knowing what they're getting into would only stress me out.

Bruck nods, staring out into the throngs of people passing by. He frowns and shakes his head. The Force swirls around him, and I smile, knowing what he's trying to do.

"Calm down, you're trying to force it too much, still your mind. Let the Force flow through you naturally. Close your eyes, let all other distractions fade away." He closes his eyes, and I can feel him reaching out with the Force.

We both decided to start training after Bator Bai. While Bruck has been taking to the teachings well enough, though he seems to have gotten pretty rusty on his sensing, I have had much worse luck with his techniques.

The Disciples of Twilight bend light and shadow to achieve their invisibility. How do you teach that to someone who doesn't have any concept of light or shadow? I can see neither of those things, and that has had a negative effect on my attempts to turn invisible.

I've been practicing, but I need to find some better way to conceptualize it outside of light and shadow. Either that or hope to find the Fallanassi and learn Force Immersion, but that does put a bit of a damper on my plans for an eventual team of Miraluka Jedi ninja.

"It's been so long since I actually tried doing that, it's such a headache." He massages his forehead with both hands and finishes off the last of his caf, grimacing at the now-cold coffee. The way his face contorts, it's silly enough that I can't help but snicker a little. His resulting frown only makes me laugh more.

"Laugh it up, I'll remember that the next time you're struggling to learn the Disciple's techniques." He grumbles something else under his breath, but I'm still amused at the silly face. Oh I'll be paying for that later I'm sure.

We both stop as Bruck's comlink beeps. He grabs for it and keys it on. He listens quietly, nodding his head every so often before he offers a quick thanks and keys it off, returning it to his pocket. When he looks back up at me he's smiling; oh I have a good feeling about this.

"I think I've found him, an apartment in a complex down in the Parshan quarter. I've got the address." I wave down the waitress to pay for our drinks, making sure to tip well, and we both head out of the cafe.

We've got a trail now. I pull out my own comlink and send a quick message to Ehruss, informing them of the new information. Ehruss can meet up with us later. Aladaa needs to get back to the ship soon anyways.

We detour back to the ship long enough for me to grab my armor and lightsabers, and for Bruck to grab his blaster before the two of us depart.

Traveling through Osman is thankfully a very neat and tidy affair. As the capital city, considerable effort was put into making it orderly and neat to increase efficiency in production and trade.

The spaceport is set in the center of the city, with the warehouses used for storage of goods surrounding it, and the shops on the next ring out. Beyond that are the more residential areas for the upper and middle class families and then the poorer neighborhoods the farthest out.

Taxis and maglevs connect each area of the city for quick transit, but it's easier for the two of us to walk then try to explain to the taxi drivers or station attendants why I'm in full armor or why I've got two lightsabers hidden within the armor.

On the streets though people tend to care less about me. I'm just another bounty hunter or other hired gun. Some of the more imaginative folks might think I'm from some species that has to wear special armor to survive in human environs. I've also been asked if I'm a dirty alien by a few questionable individuals.

But whatever the reasoning, I get perhaps a few odd looks, but otherwise the people in the crowd don't notice me. I push my way through a crowd of people hanging outside a souvenir shop with Bruck right behind me.

The Parshan quarter is near the western edge of the city, past the small subdivided communities and suburban homes of the richer citizenry. Well-maintained, clean roads give way to cracked stone and tarnished metal. The buildings, though no smaller, become more and more divided: small run-down shops sharing space with simple eateries, bars, and housing divisions.

The people likewise are more cautious, giving both of us wary looks. Some keep their hands close enough to their blasters to be safe while still going about their day: a few humans, but mostly aliens of various species, some obviously slaves, others free but with clear divisions between the two.

"Half the people here look like they might be with some criminal gang or another. At the very least they wouldn't hesitate to shoot us if it came down to it." I shrug; he's not necessarily wrong. There are plenty people with what seem to be gang tattoos or uniforms, but mostly they seem scared.

Not the overt fear of immediate danger, but rather a more subtle fear, a constant feeling that death is waiting round the corner. We're both new faces and clearly dangerous as well. They have every right to be worried about us.

But more than that, I'm sensing something… something strange. There's someone strong in the Force here, but I can't find them. Their presence is muted, and what's worse is they know I'm here if the probing sensation I'm feeling is any indication.

Damn it, I really should have invested effort in learning to conceal myself from the Force, but I'd simply never thought to get around to it. Too many other things to work on, to study or worry about. I resist the urge to reach for my lightsabers and breathe in, using the Force to calm myself.

"Be on your guard, something's wrong. I sense… I don't know what I sense, just be careful." I expand my senses outwards and just wait.

Bruck's on guard as well. Normally I'd sense for the people armed with weapons, but that's unhelpful right now. So many people are armed, and plenty of them are anxious about the two of us, so sensing for motive isn't as accurate as I'd like.

But there is something off… at the farthest corner of my perception there's something odd. Six Twi'leks, all armed. They're not close together yet still moving with a clear, coordinated purpose. I don't know exactly what their goal is.

Let's see if they're following me though; time will tell.

"Look, the apartment complex is straight ahead." Bruck points to a large rectangular building at the corner of the street. There's what looks like a 'barbeque' place at the bottom, right next to a dingy looking bar, with a sign pointing to apartments on the upper floors.

"Inside the complex, we might be followed." Bruck nods and follows me casually into the complex. As soon as we're inside and there's no one in sight, he slips into concealment and waits. Now let's see if our Twi'lek friends follow us.

Drax's apartment is on the top floor, apartment 422, so I head for the stairs and start making my way up. Bruck's following me from a distance, keeping a good rearguard position. Where are our possible new Twi'lek friends?

They're heading our way certainly, looks like they may be here for us, or for Drax now that I think about it. I've never heard of an all-Twi'lek criminal gang before. The Force pokes at me, and I look up. Oh there's a speeder stopping on the roof and more Twi'leks getting out. I enjoy when things work out like this, but that strong Force presence worries me. It's not with this group, but it's still somewhere in this city.

I tap my comlink for a quick short-burst transmission to Bruck. No words are really needed; Bruck came up with a quick series of signals just in case. I don't need a response to know that he's on alert for attackers.

I move past an older Adarian man and look around the top floor. I don't sense a lot of people here, which is good for a potential firefight, but Drax's apartment is empty as well. I move forward slowly, hands reaching for the lightsabers hidden in my armor. I want to see what the hell is up with this band of rowdy Twi'leks. Are they hear for me, Drax, something else? Any lead is a good one, right?

They're descending from the rooftop access hatch now. The other group's coming up the stairs past Bruck. I ignite my lightsabers, the comforting feeling from the lightsaber crystals a reassurance as half a dozen Twi'leks round each corner of the hallway, blaster rifles aimed at me. None of them fire.

"Weapons down Jedi, we need you to come with us." The speaker is a woman, young. A blaster pistol in one hand and scattergun in the other. Okay, she's the leader of this little coterie at the very least.

"I don't take orders from people I don't know, besides from where I'm standing I have the advantage." Bruck's behind the group at the stairs. If this turns violent he can cripple the lot of them, but let's see if negotiation works.

"There are a lot of people looking for you, Jedi, our orders are to get to you before they do," she says, and I frown. Well of course they're looking for me; I have a bounty on my head.

"If you're here to collect the bounty then let's get started already, I don't really have the time to waste." Odd that I don't sense any hostile intent from them, but maybe they're very good at hiding their emotions?

Or they're not looking to harm me, but I admit I'm a little worried about their purpose otherwise.

"We don't care about the bounty, but you should. They know you're in Senex Jedi Sarat, Master Diath sent us to find you first." They know I'm in Senex, how? Wait, did she say Master Diath? Nico Diath? I lower my lightsabers just a fraction.

"You know Master Diath?" Nico Diath is something of a legend in the Order: one of the adherents of the Living Force, a wanderer, and noted abolitionist. It would make sense for armed Twi'leks to work with a Jedi Master renowned for his anti-slavery actions.

"Okay, let's say I believe you, what does Master Diath want from me?" The woman raises her hand, and the others lower their weapons.

"Master Diath needs your help on an important matter, you have a vested interest in the criminal elements in Senex do you not? So do we, Master Diath wants to bring you in on our operations." There's no hint of a lie in her words, well whatever then. I disengage my lightsabers and return them to my belt. If need be, I can summon them in an instant.

Bruck appears a second later beside me, and they raise their weapons at him. The woman gives a quick command however and slowly they lower their weapons.

"With us Jedi, we've a speeder waiting on the roof. We'll send a message to your other companions on where to meet up." She turns around and heads for the access stairs down the hallway. Her group follows, and after a quick shrug, both Bruck and I follow behind them.

I draw on the Force to calm myself and force down the anxiety and doubt. No need for self-doubt now, I'm still confident in my ability to fight my way through every single one of them should this prove to be a trap.

We head up the stairs quickly. Sure enough the speeder is there waiting, engines warm and with a concealed interior. The woman enters first alongside her companions, then Bruck and I. It's surprisingly spacious. Bruck and I both take a seat next to each other as the rest of the Twi'leks file in.

"So, how'd you figure out I was on Osman? Force, how did the criminal underworld find out I was in Senex?" The last bit's the really pressing point for me; who found out and how? The woman, I should really get her name, shrugs.

"Master Diath told us where to find you, but to answer your other question, we don't quite know that either. Rumors, reliable ones, started filtering through that you'd been spotted in Senex. We don't know who started the rumors, but it doesn't matter now. Every wannabe hired gun is going to flock here to find you." I sigh and lean back in the seat; it's really comfortable. This is troublesome now.

"You got a name, miss Twi'lek?" She looks at me for a moment, then to her companions.

"My name is Shalla, that's all you need to know." I would roll my eyes if I had them, but whatever, she can be secretive if she wants. The speeder takes off into the city, heading towards the southeastern quarter of the city.

"And your friends, who are you exactly?" Bruck asks, and I lean forward to express my own interest as well. I sorta have a feeling who they are, but I'd like to hear it from them directly. Shalla sits up a little straighter, pride clear in every movement.

"We are the Sons and Daughters of Liberty, we strike fear into the heart of every slaver who hears of us." Thought so, there'd been reports of privateer groups harassing the Hutts and other slaver elements independent of the ROSF, supposedly at least. No one believed that the ROSF, or at least Cham Syndulla, wasn't giving them considerable funding for their operations.

"I've heard of you, isn't Senex a little too close to the Core for you?" They usually operated in the Outer Rim from what I'd heard. Shalla grins and leans back into the seat.

"Not for long, we've only gotten bigger, but we're in Senex specifically for something important. There's a new weapon in the hand of the criminal elements in the Outer Rim, we've tracked it here." I have a sneaking suspicion what these weapons are, and it rhymes with roid.

"By weapons, do you mean surprisingly blaster-resistant war droids?" Shalla looks at me sharply, and I smile behind the helmet, bingo. She shakes her head slowly before nodding.

"Yes, you've encountered them before? They've been appearing on Hutt controlled worlds and in various pirate gangs. They've made things a lot more tense than before." Ah, fair enough, and it seems they're being produced in Senex.

Well, I wasn't actually here for them, but I don't see a reason to not add destroying their production facilities to my reason for being here. I figure Black Sun will pop up along the way, so it works out well enough.

"If you've been operating anti-slavery operations here then maybe you can help me. I'm looking for the prisoners taken from Javin over a month ago." Shalla frowns, thinking for a moment, then shaking her head slowly.

"I haven't heard anything about slaves from Javin, but if it's been a month then they've probably already been sold. They could be anywhere in the galaxy now." I sigh, and I can feel Bruck's spirits dampen as well. I'd figured as much, but it's still disappointing to hear it.

Still doesn't change anything, I'm going to tear apart as much of Black Sun as I can get my hands on. The speeder begins its descent slowly, and I can feel the presence of, I assume, Master Diath below in a rundown abandoned complex. It's a bit of a dingy place to meet, but quiet enough I guess.

"Master Diath can explain the rest, he's been helping our organization for the past year and we trust him completely." The speeder comes to a stop, and the others file out first, then Bruck and I, and finally Shalla. The speeder takes off, and we follow the others inside, past tarnished metal and into the interior.

The interior of the building is mostly empty, bits of wood and other debris littering parts of the floor, but on one side several data terminals have been set up alongside a long row of cots and storage of weapons and other equipment.

There are more Twi'leks here, at least a dozen, all armed. In the middle of the group though, I can see him standing there waiting for us.

He's surprisingly tall, a few inches taller than me, and his hair is long and well combed alongside a really bushy mustache. He's dressed in simple Jedi robes that look regal on him. He smiles when he sees me approach, and I respectfully take off the helmet and bow before him. Bruck does likewise, mirroring my movement.

"Master Diath, a pleasure to meet you. I am honored that you would come to me for help." Master Diath smiles and takes a seat, gesturing for us to do likewise.

"Sit down, Jedi Sarat, I have a lot to tell you."


	62. Interlude XIX

36BBY Osman.

Mornings were the strangest part of Aladaa's new life. A lot of things were different now, and she still had to find her 'place' in the new order. That said, she loved all of it; there was no way in which this new life didn't surpass her old one.

She'd never admit it to anyone, but there were nights she was scared to go to sleep, haunted by the irrational fear she would wake up to find it was all a dream. Still, she thought Jedi were supposed to be ascetic monks, but Viera didn't act like one.

She moved through the Horizon's small corridors almost on autopilot, noting idly that everyone else was already up and about. Which meant the refresher was hers right now. She changed course immediately, bare feet causing the metal floor beneath her to echo her steps as she went.

Half an hour later she emerged, cleaned and ready for the morning. Viera, Bruck, and Ehruss were already up in the galley; she could smell the cooking meat from across the ship. Her stomach growled at the pleasing aroma.

None of them were really the type to sleep in. In the past by now she'd be awake and setting up her shop by the spaceport, fighting off other vendors for a good spot to sell to the passing tourists whose money she needed to survive.

She'd seen Bruck sleep in once, but otherwise all of the others were often up and about earlier than she was. Bruck was nursing a cup of caf and reading through a datapad, Ehruss was hissing something to herself as she chewed on a bit of jerky, and Viera was drinking a glass of wine at just past dawn.

Aladaa knew that Viera could purge herself of the negative effects of the alcohol almost immediately, but that had to be excessive. It was also sort of convenient because it made her easy to bribe. She made a mental note to buy and stash some expensive wine, just in case.

"Where are we going this time?" Bruck said, taking a sip of his caf and setting down the datapad to look at Viera. Viera shrugged lightly, reaching up to move a stray lock of brown hair behind her ear.

"I think we'll try the northwest quarter of the city this time. Let's see if we have more luck there." Viera said, frowning and muttering something unintelligible.

Aladaa sympathized; they'd been here for three days with not even a hint of their target. That wasn't the best sign for their quest. That was fine though, Aladaa had other plans for the day.

"We need to pick up some more supplies though, caf and food mostly, but we could use some more fuel." Aladaa said, breaking into the conversation. She'd noticed their inventory was going down. They didn't need to resupply on food here, but this was a trade world. There wouldn't be a better place anywhere nearby.

"Write up what we need, and I'll get you the money for it." Bruck frowned and looked up at Viera.

"How are we on funds, I know we've been restocking armaments from Black Sun but fuel does add up." Viera shrugged and leaned back in her chair.

"We've got plenty of change from that coin I spent on Nantama, and there's the other coins as well. Not to mention the leftover money from what the Council sent." And there was the money she was going to get for selling all the stuff she looted. She just needed to find a buyer.

"There is also the money that Satajayu sent you." Ehruss said quietly from her corner of the galley. Aladaa wasn't sure what to make of her. She was quiet, dedicated, and probably quite scary in a fight, but she had a tendency to remain silent and watchful. Viera sighed and slumped in her seat, muttering something about princesses and not knowing how to let a debt lie.

"You're still on about that? Just take the money, unless you want to fly all the way to Onderon to give it back." Bruck was smiling, clearly enjoying her discomfort at the whole situation.

Aladaa wasn't sure why a princess giving you half a million credits was something to be upset about, but then again adults were strange like that sometimes. Money was money as far as she was concerned, and money was useful.

She'd spent more than enough time on the streets thank you very much. She wanted to sleep on a comfy bed, eat good food, and never have to worry about where her next meal would come from.

"It's the principle of the thing, she put herself at risk creating that fake identity, so I helped get her some business contacts, we were settled! Then she decides to go and pay me for it! Now I owe her again!" Bruck rolled his eyes.

"You're just mad that she didn't take you seriously when you called her over it." Aladaa had enough and pushed through the galley to get herself a plate of food, ignoring Viera's silent fuming.

It had been an amusing call to watch. The only pity was it hadn't been recorded. She could use that kind of blackmail for years. She grabbed her plate and found herself a seat at the far end of the galley.

The rest of breakfast went by in relative peace, and when all was said and done, Aladaa found herself ready for the day. She had things to do.

"I'm heading out," she said and stood to leave the galley.

"Wait, where are you going?" Aladaa turned back as Viera stood and walked over to her. She shrugged and continued on her way, Viera following her out of the galley.

"I'm going to go look around the shops, I want to find someone to buy the stuff we looted from Black Sun." She'd seen enough interactions with merchants on Nantama to have an idea of what to do. How hard could it be? It wasn't like it was going to be that much different from Nantama.

"Not alone you're not. Someone has to go with you." Viera replied, and Aladaa frowned, why? She was perfectly capable of taking care of herself. She had her hold-out blaster, and she knew how to use it. If she could survive Nantama, then she could certainly survive Osman.

"I'll be fine on my own, I'm not doing anything too dangerous." She appreciated the concern, but she was not some vulnerable child.

"With our luck, it won't be as simple as you're expecting. Take Ehruss with you, she'll be a good deterrent either way." Okay… Aladaa had to admit that was a fair point, and the idea of a big scary Trandoshan following her around was quite pleasing.

"Fine, I'll take Ehruss with me, I'll meet her at the bottom of the ramp. I've got some things to get." Viera nodded, and Aladaa continued along, back to her bunk to get her hold-out blaster and then on to the cargo bay to grab some credits and a few electronics from the crates. She would need something to show potential buyers.

When she got to the bottom of the ramp, Viera and Bruck were gone, and Ehruss was waiting for her. Aladaa had to admit, she cut an imposing figure: dark green skin, lean, muscular form, and a well-used A280 rifle hanging on her back.

"Well, shall we go then?" She said happily. The excitement was burning inside her, a new planet! A new city! Ehruss looked down at her for a long moment and nodded.

"Lead on, little huntress." And with that, they were off.

Osman was a busy city in ways that Nanton wasn't. Everyone in Nanton could be divided into two categories: resident or tourist. And while the people of Osman could be similarly divided between resident and traveler, the finer details were a bit different.

The market was the busiest point in the city, on Nanton it would be stupid, rich tourists looking for souvenirs and cheap overpriced food. Here though, this was a place of business: families shopping for their groceries, traders and independent captains buying and selling freight.

Aladaa was adept at navigating large crowds, but with Ehruss beside her, it seemed as if the crowds parted ways before her.

"So, Ehruss, how'd you meet Viera?" Aladaa had heard Bruck's story, but Ehruss had never really talked about hers. She'd never really talked about anything besides the basics.

"Betrayal, my kinsman ambushed and sold me into slavery. Viera rescued me however, and gave me the chance to reclaim what was stolen from me. She is Grashkowh." Okay, that sucked. Aladaa hmm'd sympathetically as they walked.

Where did you go from there? Aladaa wasn't sure, and Ehruss didn't seem interested in talking too much about it. How did you go on from there? Aladaa didn't really have any friends back on Nanton, just enemies, and competition. Ehruss was neither of those.

They passed by busy shops with extravagant, eye-catching glowing signs and the smell of cooking food filled the air from little delis and grills. Aladaa watched all with a practiced eye. Which one of them would be willing to buy her merchandise, and have the credits to pay for it?

She finally spotted a potential spot, a large droid shop positioned on an open street corner alongside a busy intersection. She made her way across the street with Ehruss right behind her, ignoring the looks her red-white montrals and lekku garnered. Humans could be speciesist assholes, especially in Senex. It wasn't anything new to her.

She entered the store, looking across the wares curiously. The store was well-stocked at the very least: protocol droids, R-series astromechs, mouse droids, and more. She looked over a deactivated 2-1B Medical droid for a moment.

They could probably use a medical droid. Aladaa didn't think any of them were really medical trained, and with their lifestyle she wouldn't be surprised if they needed one. A question for later though, finding the store owner was easy enough. He was a tall human, probably in his mid forties with only a hint of graying black hair. He was a little on the heavy side, though not too much, and the look on his face wasn't unkind. Okay, she could maybe work with this.

"Why hello there, little miss? What brings you and your friend to my shop." Aladaa reached into her pocket for one of the mini-processors she'd brought with her and held it out to the man.

"I'm looking to sell some tech parts. I've got droid processors, servomotors, circuitry, and some power cores if you've need for them." The man looked at her for a long moment, considering her proposition before leaning back against some shelving.

"How many of these parts do you have?" he asked, now curious and perhaps even interested, if she was lucky. Thankfully she'd taken a good inventory of her findings beforehand.

"I've got about twenty containers worth. Three containers of servomotors, seven crates worth of processors, four filled with power cores, and the rest are general circuitry and wiring." He nodded to himself and told them to wait while he went into the back.

Aladaa watched him go with a sense of nervous excitement; this was going well so far. She felt proud of herself.

"What do you hope to achieve from this, little huntress?" She looked up at Ehruss and shrugged.

"I don't know yet, I just want to make money, a reason can come later I suppose. I want to be able to live comfortably for the rest of my life. Beyond that, I'm not sure." The prospect of having her own money to spend on things other than food was a novelty that she would not deny she wanted badly.

"A better reason than most I suppose, purpose is important though. It guides you and pushes you forward." Aladaa thought about it for a moment, before nodding slowly, her montrals and lekku shaking with her.

"I suppose so, I've got time to figure out what I want to do with all of this." The man chose that moment to return and brought with him a simple datapad. He looked over it briefly before setting it down on the nearby shelf.

"Okay, if you really do have what you say you have. I'd be interested in the servomotors, one case of processors and two crates of power cores. I'd be willing to pay six thousand credits for the case of processors, two thousand per crate of power cores and three thousand per case of servomotors." That was...nineteen thousand credits. That wasn't an inconsiderable sum of money. These parts were relatively expensive, at least in bulk like this. She'd done a brief bit of research into what they'd be worth on a per item basis.

It wasn't unreasonable, and the fact that they'd paid nothing to acquire them meant even if she was selling under the optimal price she still made a nineteen thousand profit. She could take that price.

"Alright, you've got a deal. Docking bay 22, we can meet tonight to make the exchange, if that's alright with you." He nodded, and she held a hand up which he shook with his own. Her first transaction! Yes!

"Come on, Ehruss. We've got more work to do." She did want to go and browse around, maybe buy some things. She needed new clothes anyways.

Ehruss followed, and once more they walked in comfortable silence. The sun was still high, and the day still young. She had cash to burn, and if she wasn't mistaken, that was a candy shop across the way.

She giggled softly, practically skipping along to her destination, yes it was going to be so much fun.

Five minutes later she was struggling in Ehruss's grip as the Trandoshan woman carried her out of the shop. People turned to watch as she was carried bodily from the store. She continued her struggles with little effect; nothing she did loosened the huntress's grip.

"Ah! Lemme go, Ehruss! I'm gonna give that bitch a piece of my mind! Throw me out of the store because I'm an alien will you?" Ehruss hissed softly, and she felt scaled hands resting on her head.

"Calm yourself little huntress, a public fight like that would only cause trouble for us, and for Viera as well." She tried to break free from Ehruss's grip in vain for another minute or two before she sighed and slumped; she wasn't breaking free.

It was to be expected. Aliens weren't held in high regard in Senex. People like the man from the droid shop were rare, and even he was probably shorting her at least a little bit of the true worth of her goods.

'I guess I thought things would be radically different, now that I was off Nantama.' It was an idealistic thought, and one she ought to have gotten over by now, but she still dreamed. She sniffed quietly.

She was not crying; it was allergies.

"Hold strong little huntress, let it wash over you like waves against stone. They will not wear you down, we must endure." She sniffed again and hated herself for it, but she looked at Ehruss and nodded slowly.

"Yeah, t-thanks Ehruss, I-I just..." her voice caught, and she wanted to scream, that she was doing this now, after holding together so well, but Ehruss hissed softly and set her down.

"Come, we still have plenty of day ahead of us." Aladaa nodded, and together they continued on into the city. She was hungry; there had to be a place that would sell them some quick food.

Later, food in their bellies and her with a comfortable level of composure, they left the small grill they'd stopped at. She wanted to buy some clothes and then go back to the ship. She wanted to go to sleep and relax, just forget the whole thing with the candy shop.

"Little huntress, turn right down the alley ahead, move quickly." She blinked and looked up at Ehruss, the Trandoshan was looking around and hissing, hands twitching towards her blaster rifle.

Adrenaline surged through her immediately as she began subtly looking around for the danger. Every fight as a streetrat came rushing back to her as practiced experience began warning her of potential dangers.

About half a block behind them she could see six men, all human, walking with purpose in their direction. Gangsters, police, slavers? No, these had the feel of simple thugs; they just wanted to hurt and cause pain. She was all too familiar with their type.

Her holdout blaster was in her pocket, and Ehruss had a blaster rifle. Taking them down would be a simple matter, but out here in the open, it would draw far too much attention to them. Attention she knew Viera didn't want.

She turned to the alley, Ehruss behind her. As soon as they were out of sight, she felt Ehruss grab and lift her up, taking off into a run down the alley. She had her hold-out blaster in hand as they moved.

A minute later, the six came round the corner, and one of them shouted something to the others as they all started chasing after them. She tried to line up a shot, but she kept moving, and eventually gave up.

They had no such reservations, and a blaster bolt sailed past them, barely missing the two of them as they turned around the corner. They needed cover, some sort of cover. Ahead of them, the alley opened up into a wider area, still quite secluded and away from prying eyes. There were several crates around for cover and numerous doors leading to who knows where.

As soon as they approached, Ehruss set her down and reached for the blaster rifle on her back as they ran.

"Get to cover!" Ehruss roared, and Aladaa needed no further prompting. She ran for one of the low crates, and as she neared she leaped, curling into a ball as she sailed over the top of the crate and landing safely. The heat of the blasterfire washed overhead as she landed in a panic.

She fumbled for her blaster and leaned around the side of the crate to fire a few shots. Most of them went wide, and she cursed her shaking hands. She'd never been in an actual shootout before, mostly it was just scrapping with the other kids her age or evading those too big to fight off.

Ehruss was further to the right, behind another larger crate, and returning fire with deadly accuracy. Most of the thugs had already turned their attention to her, leaving Aladaa mostly to herself.

Where'd the door lead to anyways? She moved behind her cover to the door and pressed the door key, thank goodness it was unlocked. As soon as the door opened she looked inside before moving back out. No getting out that way then. Nothing but storage in there, and another door she didn't want to risk opening yet.

She turned back to the fight and blinked. Half of them were down, and the other half weren't looking so steady now. It was very different, fighting someone who could hurt you back. These weren't hardened criminals; they were just dumb thugs, probably out to cause pain and suffering, and not much else.

"Let's get out of here!" one of them said, and that was basically all it took to break the lot of them. The other two took off as well, leaving just her and Ehruss in the alley, with three wounded, possibly dead, thugs.

Ehruss stood up from behind cover and hissed in what Aladaa assumed to be happiness, before walking over to Aladaa.

"Are you well little huntress?" Aladaa nodded slowly; aside from a few scrapes she was fine. But now they kinda had to scram before planetary security came along. Which, given they were in a back alley, could be a while.

But there was something that had been bugging her. She walked back to the door she'd opened previously and stepped inside. There were crates again. The markings were what got to her though, and after taking a moment to read, she smiled.

If this was what she thought it was. She looked around, no cameras or security devices in sight. She walked over to the other, interior door, and opened it just enough to peek out.

It was the candy shop! The one she'd been kicked out before. A wicked thought entered her mind, and she turned to Ehruss.

"This is that candy shop from earlier, let's pilfer some stuff." She walked over to a stack of crates and looked over them. She tore at the packaging of one of them and started stuffing her pockets.

Ehruss watched her for just a moment, before chuckling softly and walking over to pick up a pair of boxes. Aladaa finished stuffing her pockets and grabbed two relatively light boxes. She nodded to Ehruss, and they walked back out, closing the door behind them.

"Hey Ehruss, let's not tell Viera about this, seems like less trouble that way." Ehruss thought about it for a moment before nodding.

"Agreed, little huntress." Aladaa grinned, and thankfully, no one bothered them the rest of the way to the ship.


	63. Character Glossary

Character Glossary:

Viera Sarat and her crew.

Viera Sarat:

Age 21, female Miraluka Jedi Knight, shoulder-length brown hair with a simple brown blindfold covering her empty eye-sockets, tall, and muscular from her Matukai training.

Formerly apprenticed to Jedi Master Zun Tavik, Viera Sarat is a newly-knighted Jedi currently focused on hunting down Black Sun and doing what she can to prevent the fall of the Republic and the Jedi. Currently has a twenty-million credit bounty on her head, posted by unknown persons.

Ehruss, of clan Jchoss:

Age 26, femaleTrandoshan , green skinned and tall for her species.

Ehruss was a proud huntress of clan Jchoss until she was betrayed by one of her kinsman and sold into slavery, costing her the Jagganath points she had earned and shaming her in the eyes of the Scorekeeper. She was rescued by Viera Sarat and decided to name her Grashkowh and honor the life-debt towards the Jedi. Is currently traveling with Viera Sarat.

Bruck Chun:

Age 21, male Human from Telos, white hair and blue-eyes.

Bruck was a former Jedi Padawan who was convinced to join Xanatos in his attempt to destroy the Temple. Was defeated by Viera Sarat and Obi-Wan Kenobi and exiled from the Order. Later left home in an attempt to redeem himself. He trained with the Disciples of Twilight and later met Viera again on Bespin while hunting a Seyugi Dervish. Together with Viera they fought in the defense of Javin against Black Sun raiders, and he decided to follow Viera in an attempt to help track down Black Sun.

Aladaa:

Age 11, female Togruta from Nantama, her skin is red-white swirling patterns going up and down her lekku and montrals.

She met and helped Viera Sarat on Nantama, and was later asked to tag along with their little band. Has taken to helping Viera and the others make money.

The Padawan Pack: Contemporaries of Viera Sarat.

Ilena Zan:

Age 21, female Human Jedi Padawan, short blonde hair and blue eyes.

A talented Lightsaber and unarmed combat specialist. Apprenticed to Jedi Master Walden Bridger. Noted for her seriousness and disciplined nature.

Jang Li-Li:

Age 21, female Human Jedi Padawan, short black hair, blue eyes. Apprenticed to Jedi Ace, Rana, Jang is a capable pilot more comfortable in a cockpit than on the ground. Bright and bubbly, she is a font of levity among her comrades.

Maks Leem:

Age 21, female Gran Jedi Padawan.

Apprenticed to Jedi Master Denia, Maks is the weakest of her compatriots, more focused on her academic pursuits. A capable and scholarly historian, like most Gran, Maks is a good team player and comfortable working in the background to let her friends take the spotlight.

Jai Maruk:

Age 21, male Human Jedi Padawan, brown hair cut short and green eyes.

Apprenticed to Shon Kon Ray, Jai is a more laid back spirit, leaning towards a more investigative track, Jai is good at stepping out of a situation to look at it calmly and analytically, something he learned from his Jedi Master. Has a barely hidden crush on fellow Padawan-Pack member Politrix.

Politrix:

Age 21, female Human Jedi Knight, long red hair and brown eyes.

Formerly apprenticed to Master Kaim, a burgeoning member of the Jedi Diplomatic Corps, Politrix, or Pol to her friends, is a quiet and contemplative woman. Where others, like Jang, might jump into and dominate conversations and social scenes, Pol is more at ease taking a step back to listen and observe. As such, she has been said to be a diligent, and patient diplomat. Notably, for her accomplishments, her Master Kaim recently recommended her for the Jedi Trials which she passed. She is the second of the padawan pack to earn a knighthood, right after Viera.

Arligan Zey:

Age 20, male Human Jedi Padawan, short brown hair and blue eyes.

Apprenticed to Jedi Master Tera Sinube, Zey is a dedicated pragmatist, an excellent candidate for a Jedi Investigator, Zey is nonetheless devoted to the Order and its causes. While he is not as talented as any of his peers in any field except stealth, he is considered on track to becoming a Jedi Knight.

Other Jedi

Zun Tavik:

Age 55: male Miraluka Jedi Master, graying black hair.

The former Jedi Master of Viera Sarat. After finishing his training of Viera Sarat, has decided to retire from active service and focus on teaching younglings, the things he has learned.

Ood Bnar:

Age 5000+, male Neti Jedi Master.

Thousands of years old, Ood Bnar was discovered on Ossus by Viera Sarat and after efforts by Jedi healers, was rescued and brought back to the Order. He has since garnered a bit of controversy over his unorthodox teachings and beliefs. Despite this, he is still a respected member of the Order.

Nico Diath:

Age 45, male Human Jedi Master, graying brown hair and brown eyes.

A legend of the Jedi Order, Nico Diath is one of the known nomad Jedi who have eschewed staying at the Temple, preferring to follow the Living Force. A noted abolitionist, Nico Diath has rescued countless slaves from the Hutts and continues to do so. Is currently working with the Sons and Daughters of Liberty in Senex sector.

Non-Jedi.

Aron Shol:

Age 24, male Human spacer from Corellia, blonde hair and brown eyed.

A spacer who Viera and Jai rescued from the captivity of Smiton the Hutt on Er'Kit, and helped them fight off the Krayt Dragon that attacked them. Has since resumed his spacer lifestyle, purchasing a new ship with the Krayt Dragon Pearl he got from the Dragon.

Crown Prince Sadhana Dendup:

Age 21, male Human from Onderon, Black haired and blue eyed like his sister.

Sadhana Dendup is the grandson of King Ramsis Dendup, and the current heir to the throne. An adventurous and active young man, Sadhana has recently taken an avid interest in personal combat after the recent attempt on the lives of the Royal family.

Crown Princess Satajayu Dendup:

Age 20, female Human from Onderon, long black hair and blue eyes.

The younger sister of Sadhana, Satajayu is currently establishing a Corusca gem mining company to bring wealth to Onderon and to fund her philanthropic pursuits. A diligent woman, has a tendency to forget about eating and sleeping when busy with her work. She has recently established a cover identity for Viera Sarat to aid her in her travels across the galaxy.

Tomas:

Age 22, male Echani from Eshan, silver hair and eyes as customary for the Echani species.

A Matukai Adept who Viera met on Karvoss II during her training, has multiple sisters and serves as a mercenary to help support them. Is currently heading to meet up with Viera Sarat in an attempt to help her against the Bounty Hunters pursuing her.

Cerone:

age 25. male Cathar from the Outer Rim, brown fur and brown eyes.

A fellow Matukai contemporary and friend of Tomas and Viera. Last seen on Karvoss II, current whereabouts unknown.

Shalla:

Age 23, female Twi'lek from Ryloth. Green skin and purple eyes.

A freedom fighter with the Sons and Daughters of Ryloth fighting against the Hutts, Noble Houses of Senex, and other pirate organizations in the Galaxy.

ROSF Actors

Ranulph Tarkin:

While his experiences at Troiken have led him to delegate military matters to his direct subordinates, Ranulph has thrown himself into the political and public aspects of the ROSF. He spends more time in the Outer Rim than on Coruscant and has delegated much of his role there to Shayla-Page Tarkin. His recent success has caused him to devote more and more time to the ROSF and convincing nearby planets and sectors to ally themselves with his effort to create a secure Republic.

Admiral Jace Dallin, male Human from Rendili:

Jace's promotion to Admiral came at Ranulph's insistence, though not before he took courses from the Anaxes War College. Nominally he is the second in command of the ROSF though most decisions are decided by the Admiralty Board. Jace has proven himself an able enough commander, and he is currently in charge of the ROSF 1st fleet from the flagship Invincible.

Captain Errol Vance:

Age 25, male Human from Commenor. Short black hair, and hazel eyed.

The commander of the new Havoc Squad, Errol is one of the survivors of the original ROSF from Troiken. Born to a mining family from Commenor, he left to work for Ranulph Tarkin in his effort to restore order to the Republic's outer fringes. Has since studied at the Carida infantry academy to earn his Officer accreditation. Is currently on Onderon, helping to train the Onderonian Royal Guardsmen.

Dark Siders.

Ysanne Leoet:

Age 21, female Vahla, brown skin, black hair, and dark-grey eyes.

Ysanne is a former Black Knight encountered by Viera and her Master on Terminus. Ysanne survived their encounter and fled, only to stumble across the Sith Spirit XoXaan. Later disguised herself as General Tandin in an effort to kidnap Satajayu Dendup.

XoXaan:

Age 5000+, female humanoid Sith Spirit.

An ancient Sith spirit, back from the era of the Second Great Schism, one of the original Dark Jedi to rebel against the Order and start the Hundred Year Darkness. XoXaan's spirit festered alongside her holocron in her tomb for thousands of years until she was released by Ysanne Leoet. Her goal is to acquire a body and reform the Black Legion to continue her war against the Jedi Order.


	64. Interlude XX

36BBY Coruscant.

A lone figure walked down the long, dark hallway of the formerly abandoned building. The lights, few in number, were dim and cast grim shadows across his path. Regardless he kept onwards. He was not afraid of the Dark; he was the Dark.

He was strong. He was a being of perfect rage and strength, second only to one. But more than that, he was victorious. He flushed with pride at the very thought of his recent victory. He'd slain a Jedi! Not just any Jedi, but a Jedi Master of known talent.

Certainly, the Jedi had put up a good fight; his technique to imbue the wooden staff with the Force had been effective and surprising. But Maul had been smarter. The new double-bladed lightsaber he'd forged hung from his belt. He felt a surge of pride at the thought; he'd made it, and he'd outsmarted the former Jedi Master.

It was, however, a little disappointing. He wanted to face a Jedi in actual lightsaber combat, in open battle, and revel in the realization they didn't stand a chance. He craved that battle, that victory over the hated Jedi. Siolo'urmanka had died from a surprise attack; it was not the battle that he had craved.

He hungered for another: a Jedi with a lightsaber, one he could face in open combat. Soon, he comforted himself, soon the time would come to reveal themselves to the Jedi and destroy them.

He relished those thoughts as he stalked down the hallway to the chamber of his master. Sidious had summoned him mere moments ago. It was no simple communication; he had felt the mind of his master, demanding his presence. Surely, Sidious would be pleased to hear of Siolo'urmanka's death.

At the end of the hallway, he opened the door to his master's chamber and stepped inside, dropping to one knee immediately upon his entry. Sidious was a stickler for the formalities of the Sith, and not showing him the respect he deserved would only end in punishment.

He'd been punished enough times to know what such a punishment could entail, and he had no desire to suffer through it again. Just the thought sent chills down his spine. He'd nearly died on Hypori, against assassins, beasts, crime lords and more, but displeasing his master was simply not an option.

Sidious did not acknowledge him immediately, though Maul knew his master was well aware of his presence. Sidious sat on an ornate chair at a simple table. Datapads and other devices littered the table, the contents of which Maul did not know, and did not dare ask about.

If Sidious wanted him to know about his plans, then Sidious would tell him, and if he did not, then that was the end of the matter. Finally, after what seemed an eternity, Sidious looked up to acknowledge his presence.

"Ah, Maul, your mission to Jentares was a success?" A rhetorical question, Maul would never have dared to show his face if he had failed to kill the Jedi. He would have flung himself at the Twi'lek Master till he died or was victorious. Still, he bowed his head in reverence.

"Yes, my master, I slew the Jedi. He lives no more, and his simple home has been reduced to wreckage." Sidious cackled softly, pleased with his performance. Then his eyes fell upon the lightsaber on Maul's waist.

"I see you constructed yourself a new lightsaber, a double-bladed staff… It suits you, apprentice. A weapon worthy of a powerful warrior." Maul felt himself flush with pride—and happiness—at the praise. Still, he knew better than to stand.

"And did you enjoy the Jedi's death. Did you feel pride at your success?" Sidious smiled down at him, and he knew better than to lie.

"No, Master. The thrill of it was too short-lived, too soon. I did not get to enjoy the battle, relish in his suffering. He was strong, but he died too quickly." Sidious said nothing, and for a moment he felt afraid he'd said something displeasing. He was going to be punished! Then he felt a hand on his shoulder.

Sidious was… comforting him? He didn't know how to respond to this, emotions of pride, fear, happiness, anger, all surged within him, warring for dominance in his mind.

"Rise, my friend. I completely understand your dilemma, and I have just the right answer for it." Maul stood and followed his master to the table. One of the datapads displayed a holographic image.

It was a woman, young and of strong build. Maul took in every detail, from the blindfold on her head to the robes she wore. A Miraluka then, so hiding from her would be a problem, but they didn't have any specific traits that would stand in his way. She was his target; there was no other reason for his master to show him this.

"This is Viera Sarat, a Jedi Knight currently operating in the Senex sector. She has recently earned a twenty-million credit bounty for her work against the criminal elements of the Outer Rim. I want her eliminated." Sidious didn't have to tell him twice. Maul was already anticipating it.

A Knight wasn't the same as a Jedi Master, but this time he wouldn't have to work against any tricks like Siolo'urmanka had. He would fight her face to face, blade to blade. And he would triumph, he was Sith, he was strong.

"I understand, my master." He took the datapad and found it to be stocked with information on his target: her known missions, personality, and other relevant factors. She had a Trandoshan companion, that would add an element of challenge to it.

Good.

"Do not fail me, apprentice, return with proof of her death or do not return at all." Sidious turned away from him and returned to the chair, a clear dismissal if ever there was one, and Maul bowed before departing.

He looked down at the datapad again, Viera Sarat. His smile was full of teeth. She would die at his hands.


	65. Interlude XXI

36BBY Coruscant.

As the last member entered the chambers, Mace raised his hand, and all the conversation in the room ceased. He looked from one Jedi to the other before lowering his hand and beginning the oath. Every other Jedi in the room raised their voices to join his.

"With all of us may the Force be, and may the peace of this temple be ours, a place open to thought and speech, a realm of mutual respect, and a haven of shared noble purpose. Let us take these seats together, with no one above the others. May we work together, free from the restraints of ego and jealousy, at this gathering and all others to come." The traditional oath completed, the assembled Jedi Masters took their seats.

Mace Windu sighed and leaned forward in his seat to glance around the room. Of the various Jedi Council members only Yoda, Micah, Oppo, and Tyvokka were physically present in the Temple. The others were only present via holographic transmissions. Which meant this Council session would need to be short to account for any potential problems transmitting.

"This bounty can not be allowed to remain, not only does it place one of our Knights in constant danger, but also danger against anyone she might be near. How could we knowingly assign her a mission when bounty hunters could place everyone around her in jeopardy." Yarael Poof said quietly, looking from Mace to Yoda slowly. Mace agreed, but things weren't that simple.

"According to the Bounty Hunter Guild, the money is in escrow. They can't retract the bounty and they don't know the identity of who placed it. We'll need to find the person who set the bounty and convince them to drop it." A bit more complicated than that, likely involving a fight and numerous arrests, but Mace felt that went unstated.

"Grave it is, few there are, who willing to draw the attention are, such an act would bring." Yoda said quietly, face deep in concentration. Mace waited to see if he would continue that line of thought before continuing.

"It would be prudent to investigate the matter more, a team of investigators could be sent to try and track down the culprit of the bounty. I would recommend Master Sinube and his padawan Arligan Zey." From across the room, Master Giett snorted, amused by something.

"Send one of the 'padawan pack' to save the other. Very fitting, Master Windu." Micah was poking fun at the coincidence, and in another situation, Mace might have found it amusing.

"Master Sinube thinks Zey is ready for Knighthood, this mission will decide that, one way or another." Master Sinube was a skilled Jedi Master, and Mace trusted him to take care of things if the situation got too out of hand.

"Knight Sarat is still under threat by Black Sun and these Bounty Hunters. I know she's with Master Diath but we ought to have reinforcements close at hand if they are needed." Oppo Rancisis said, looking up from the datapad in his hand. Mace nodded as Master Giett smiled, leaning back in his seat.

"How about Knight Rana and her padawan? Two Jedi Aces can provide some valuable fighter cover if it's needed."

More members of the 'Padawan Pack' Master Giett? They are qualified pilots and Jedi certainly, but Master Clee Rhara might be better suited Tyvokka replied this time, the protocol droid on his belt translating quickly. Micah shrugged, still smiling.

"Listen, they're friends, they spent plenty of time training together. It should be fairly obvious to keep pairing them together when possible." That was a fair point, certainly Rana would do her duty, and Jang Li-Li would be more willing to work harder for her friend.

"The noble houses of the Senex sector are also asking why they weren't informed of a Jedi operating in their territory. I've left that to the Chancellor's office, he knows our reasoning and can speak on our behalf in this matter." The noble houses were upjumped slavers and warlords in Mace's opinion; there wasn't little reason to worry about what they thought as far as he was concerned.

Even before the ROSF, the Jedi and the Judiciary would have been enough to drive them back. With military pressure added to the economic sanctions against them, it was only a matter of time before they agreed to end slavery in their sectors.

But speaking of the ROSF, they had just moved a small battlegroup into Onderon. King Ramsis had decided to officially join the ROSF coalition after the failed attack on his family. An attack that was stopped from turning into a disaster by none other than the aforementioned Jedi Knight.

"Master Tyvokka, has your former padawan had any luck searching for the Sorcerer from Onderon?" A change of topic was needed. They'd assign Master Sinube and Knight Rana their missions later, for now there were other pressing topics.

No, he has tracked them as far as Abhean but the trail has gone cold. The Council of First Knowledge has given him a team of five Shadows to assist. Mace nodded, lost in thought. Someone with knowledge of Sith magic was a major threat, especially in this day and age.

All it took was a small colony world, and there could be thousands of resurrected corpses to fuel the flames of a new war.

"Will five Shadows be enough? This Sorcerer is powerful enough to know some of the more dangerous spells. That isn't something to be underestimated." Master Poof had a point, perhaps a few more Jedi?

"Enough six should be, faith in Master Koon you should have. For now track the Sorcerer they will, from there, assign more Jedi we can." Yoda answered cautiously, and Mace supposed he had a point too. Too many Jedi would be obvious and would cause the Sorcerer to go to ground. A smaller team could go unnoticed and report back to the Council.

"Cautious we must be, something else in this I sense. Wait and listen we should, that swiftly we may react." And with that, most of the other Masters nodded in agreement, no one quite willing to argue against Master Yoda.

"In any case, there is a dispute on Ansion. The locals have requested Jedi assistance, who should we send?" With that, the meeting continued.


	66. Knight Errant: Chapter Sixteen

36BBY Caltinia

Our little coterie moves relatively quickly through the streets of Caltinia. The streets are crowded, in my opinion, but despite this we move relatively quickly. The wide streets are paved with marbled stone, and every footstep echoes loudly as we walk. I'm surprised the streets haven't deteriorated from millions walking over them, but according to Shalla, House Elegin had the stone coated in a special alloy to maintain its beauty.

As the homeworld of House Elegin, a lot of effort was put into its splendor, and it really shows. Everything is so smooth and well-maintained, and according to Bruck and Shalla, there are painted mosaics and other vapid luxuries dotting the streets.

Which sounds nice, but it still pales in comparison to the supposed beauty of Nantama and other resort worlds. What Caltinia has that other worlds do not are numerous mausoleums, temples, and museums dedicated to one specific activity.

The clash of blade against blade rings out in the distance, as steadily and often as the sound of background chatter. The people of Caltinia have a love for dueling that would exceed even Master Bondara or Ilena's dedication. We've been on the streets for only twenty minutes, and the dueling is everywhere.

"Does it ever stop?" Tomas asked from behind me, his eyes moving from one dueling ground to another. He met up with us on Osman shortly after Master Diath found us and offered to help. I'd welcomed the assistance, with Shalla and her companions on our side we have a distinct lack of close-range combatants. Tomas is a good addition to our team.

"It never does, dueling as a tradition is embedded into the culture of Caltinia to the point of obsession. Every nobleman or noblewoman is expected to have at least rudimentary knowledge of dueling, and everyone else with any aspiration to earn fame here duels as well." She gestures to the literally dozens of training grounds scattered around us. Apparently there are thousands of these training grounds across the entirety of the planet.

Dueling is simultaneously a way of life, a hobby, and an expression of true nobility. I can see dozens of people in the streets armed with everything from rapiers to longswords. One enterprising man even has a double-bladed sword strapped to his back; it's madness I tell you.

Granted I'm carrying a Wan-shen on the recommendation of both Tomas and Shalla. Even if everyone knows I'm somewhere in Senex sector, everyone is going to be expecting me to wear Jedi robes and carry a lightsaber.

But if I have the Wan-shen and pretend to be a Matukai Adept, then I can perhaps through off the stupider seekers and otherwise confuse and delay the smarter ones. It's not the greatest of plans, but then again there's simply not a lot else for me to do besides just leave Senex and that would mean turning my back on this whole venture.

"And this doesn't end with countless murders in the street?" Bruck asks. I can see his hand resting close to the blaster at his waist. It's like he expects half the crowd to draw swords and charge us. Though, given my history, I wouldn't be surprised. Shalla just shrugs.

"There are police stations in numerous places across the planet, and they are armed with blasters at least. Beyond that, if there is a disagreement, the affected parties can challenge the other to an official, monitored duel in a ring." Shalla has rapidly become our miss exposition. She knows what's going on more than I do. I'm fine with this; let her be the knowledge-holder while I keep an eye out for a horde of bounty hunters and hired guns.

"Even so, it seems like there is an excessive amount of people practicing." The dueling ground closest to us has at least a hundred people, probably more. There could easily be thousands of people practicing across the planet, and that's an extremely low estimation.

"It's probably for the Grand Game. It is happening in a few days." Wait, what? I assume it's a tournament of some sort. I mean on a planet where dueling is a way of life, it's sort of expected. How many people would be in this kind of tournament? No wonder everyone's out practicing.

"So, what, it's some kind of tournament, right?" Might as well ask, to pass the time if nothing else. Expanding my senses outwards, I don't sense any danger to us, but it doesn't hurt to check. And I'd imagine someone realizing my identity wouldn't really hide it. I'm safe, for the moment.

"Sort of, Caltinia has tournaments almost every year, and numerous smaller ones throughout. The Grand Game only happens once a decade, the winner, aside from a considerable cash prize is usually showered with gifts from House Elegin, and earns fame throughout Senex." Ah, and that probably brings competitors and spectators from across the sector, not to mention gamblers, con artists, thieves, and others like them.

"So, what're we looking for here? I know Black Sun has something here, whether a business partner or an actual operation, I'm not sure." Ehruss is busy staring at an open shop window, row upon row of blades offered up for sale to cater to the dueling enthusiasts. She hisses in what I've come to know as curiosity. Huh, does she know how to use a blade?

"Drax didn't tell us much, but he did tell us about someone else here on Caltinia, someone higher up in the Black Sun circle. I asked one of my contacts here to look into it, we're going to meet with her." Okay, fair enough I guess. I'm really not too fond of this planet. Aside from my general disdain for Senex, I'm a wanted woman on a planet where almost everyone seems to be armed with swords and knows how to use them.

"So, who's this friend of yours? Tomas asks quietly, walking casually amongst our group. He looks the most at home here. I know Eshan has public dueling grounds, but they're mostly for hand to hand combat, not melee. Still I imagine it has to be easier for him to handle. Shalla frowns, and I can sense, not unease, but rather annoyance.

"His name's Dryson, he's a lawyer, and a scummy one at that. He's prone to drink and gambling, but he's also reliable, at least with the information he gives. Trust me, you'll hate his guts the minute you meet him." Okay? I guess I'll hate the bastard then. S'fine with me. We're not going to be here long.

We take a turn down a side-street and have to inch closer together to take in the slightly narrower space. Still the streets are packed, and we have to be careful to not bump into other people's weapons as well as them. I turn back to Tomas, I don't need to do that to see him, but it's more polite.

"So, Tomas, what've you been up to? It's been a couple years." I haven't seen him since I left Karvoss II; it'd be nice to know what he's been up to. He shrugs and pauses to adjust the Wan-shen on his back.

"I've been busy, some freelance work mostly, the ROSF have done a lot but there's still plenty of work dealing with pirates and other little bands. It pays the bills back home." I bet, I met his family. He's got six sisters.

"I can imagine, I've met your family, your mother's a nice woman, and your sisters aren't too bad either." I smirk when he stiffens. Oh yes, I've talked to your family. What did they tell me is the question. He doesn't answer so I continue.

"Oh yes, I spent the night at your home while I waited for the armor to be made. They were very proud of you, they told me so many stories." He sighs in defeat, and I laugh. They actually didn't tell me anything too embarrassing, but he doesn't know that. But it's distracting and that's what's needed right now.

"Have you seen Cerone at all?" I'm honestly curious; he and Tomas were almost inseparable friends on Karvoss II, kinda surprising that he isn't here too. Tomas sighs and shrugs.

"I haven't seen him for over a year now. He said he had some things to do, personal things. I haven't seen or heard from him since." Tomas says quietly, a frown on his face. Hmm, am I going to have to go and find him too? I'm sure he's fine. He's just being overly secretive and private with his problems. He'll either turn up when he's ready, or we go and find his dumb ass and knock some sense into him.

Heh, I'm one to talk on sense.

We're coming up on a small one story home, nestled at the corner of the street. The lawn out front is neatly trimmed, and the stone pathway leading up to the front door is lined with flowers and small shrubs.

Shalla leads us up the path and knocks on the door. Really, we're just walking straight up and knocking? I mean, I guess he's a lawyer so it wouldn't seem too odd. I just sort of expected meeting in some back alley or darkly lit cantina.

No one answers, so Shalla knocks again, harder this time. I could probably kick the door down, but that would be a bit obvious, even more than we are now. Wait a moment, I focus further inside the house and sigh, stepping up to place a hand on Shalla's shoulder.

"Give it up, he's not at home. No one is." She frowns and looks from me to the door before realizing that it's pointless and giving up with a noise that is somewhere between angry and disgusted.

"Where is he then? That idiot's never out this early. He likes to sleep in too much to do that!" She fumes silently as we make our way back up the walkway.

"You folks looking for Dryson?" We stop and look at the elderly woman sitting on the porch of the house next to us. She fumbles for her cane and stands, making her way over to us. Shalla smiles and beelines straight for her, the earlier anger all but gone.

"Yes, we have some business with him do you know where he's gone?" The old woman scoffs and leans forward on her cane.

"Yeah, he's down at the police station. He's been arrested for something or other. Bout time if you ask me." Shalla scowls again, her anger returned once more, directed at the erstwhile lawyer. She thanks the woman and turns back to us.

"Come on, we'll find him at the station then, I swear I'm going to kill him when we find him, useful information or no." I feel her annoyance. Unless this information is spectacular I might just hit him myself

"Are you sure this man is reliable?" I ask again as we make our way back onto the street and head in the direction of the police station. Shalla mutters some really unflattering words but doesn't reply for a moment.

"He's a greedy bastard, but his information has always been reliable. We've gotten considerable use out of him. I trust him for good information, but not for much else." I shrug, fair enough. I'll expect him to be a slimy bastard who has information we need. Ehruss hisses from beside me.

"This Dryson sounds like a Toydarian, good for work but little else." I don't know what experiences she's drawing that observation from, but I nod along with her regardless, solidarity and all that.

Shalla leads us down the street and through even more traffic, we really need a speeder, across a bridge over a wide river. Small boats drift lazily down the river, and Force, when was the last time I went swimming? Note to self, someday go to Dac or some other water world and spend some time relaxing.

"How exactly do you intend to get Dryson out of jail? I presume he won't tell us anything until he's out, and we don't know what he was arrested for?" What if he was arrested for murder and we have to prove his innocence? I really don't want to play detective right now.

"Knowing him he got himself arrested for some drunken brawl, or some other indecency. We pay his fine, get the information and get off this rock." We walk a bit further till we get to the police station, and I whistle in appreciation.

Busting him out isn't going to be an option, not without an army. The station is about five stories high with hints of levels belowground. Numerous men in uniform patrol the outer walls, armed with blaster rifles, and what look to be weapon emplacements at key points on the wall.

On the ground as we near the entrance a few more weapon emplacements face the outer streets. Security makes regular patrols across the grounds, and there are even more armed people inside. I imagine there are cameras everywhere, and any wannabee attacker would be seen and overwhelmed by sheer number long before getting anywhere.

I could maybe, just maybe somehow manage to get to Dryson in there, but it would probably cost everyone else their lives, and I'd never make it out with him. It's just better to do this quietly, get in, bail the guy out and leave. This planet's already crowded enough as is; I really don't want to stay here any longer than necessary.

We enter the station to find a cozy looking receptionist area, though the three rough looking folks waiting and the armed guards ruin any sort of calming atmosphere. Shalla marches straight to the desk where an aging man looks up from his datapad to face her.

"Can I help you ma'am?" He sounds bored, and I don't blame him for that. But he's also a little disgusted, and I do blame him for that. Shalla seems to ignore it with an ease that can only be practiced.

"We're looking for a prisoner, name of Dryson?" The man looks at his datapad for a moment before answering.

"Ah yes, Mr. Dryson. He was brought in just this morning, according this paperwork he has been arrested for failing to pay a debt." What? Shalla growls something, shaking with barely concealed anger.

"A debt! What kind of debt, that idiot what did he get himself into this time!" The man scowls at her, and I shift a little uncomfortably.

"No need to yell ma'am, it says here he was out gambling last night and lost a bet he couldn't pay. He'll be here until he pays off the debt or he's sentenced to conditional work to pay it off." That's a code for debt slavery I'm sure, or at least I wouldn't be surprised. This is Senex after all.

"I'm sorry, but can we see him at least? We're friends of his." A blatant lie if ever I saw one, I don't even know the man, and Shalla clearly hates his guts. The receptionist looks down at his datapad again.

"Well, it is visitor's hours and according to this he's allowed visitors. You'll need an escort though, wait right here and I'll call one up for you." I take a seat nearby, Bruck, Tomas, and Ehruss soon join me.

"Do all your assignments go like this?" Tomas asks quietly. He's taken his weapon and propped it up beside his chair. Honestly I'm surprised they let us keep them in the waiting area, but I suppose they must see people armed with melee weapons all the time. They've got blaster rifles, so why should they worry?

"Eh, more or less, we haven't gotten into any brawls yet so that's a plus. Give it time, we'll be in some convoluted scenario soon enough." Granted, it's probably going to be me who starts it.

"I must be doing something wrong then, mercenary work has not been nearly this interesting." He says slowly, and I shrug. I mean, I'm a Jedi, I always assumed this was normal for Jedi. It sort of is I guess by technicality.

"Eh, you get used to it. Stick with us for a bit and you'll be perfectly accepting of it." I lean back in my seat as we wait. There's not much more talk between us; no one really knows what to say without giving away any possibly sensitive information in a room full of people.

Eventually a pair of men step through the door in body armor and armed with blaster rifles. Shalla's name is called, and we all stand to move with her. The two guards lead us through the doors and down a long hallway.

I take the chance to observe my surroundings, and I am not pleased in the least. There are multiple checkpoints, each with several armed guards and more in various break and ready rooms that could arm themselves and join the fight.

Yeah, a jailbreak is off the table. We'd need an entire division of troops to manage it, with heavy weapons and air support to evacuate him. It shouldn't need to come to that though. We pay off his debt and get him out of here.

How much of a gambling debt could he have accumulated?

The guards lead us into a mostly empty room with only a set of lockers. I already know what's coming, and my Wan-shen is in hand as I disassemble the weapon.

"Okay, disarm yourself of any weapons you might be carrying." the first guard says and steps back to give us room while still having a clear firing line just in case. He's bored, but he's professional, which of course isn't ideal for if things get violent. These are at least disciplined police.

Tomas begins disassembling his Wan-shen as Bruck pulls his blaster pistol and knives from his belt to hand off to the guards. Ehruss hands over her rifle, and Shalla her blaster pistol and scattergun.

If the guards are off-put by the colorful assortment of weapons we have with us they don't say anything. When we're done one of them runs a small scanner over us to make sure we have no concealed weaponry. When they finish the scan they nod and lead us out of that room and down the hall to another room with an assortment of chairs.

"Wait here, we'll bring Dryson to you." I take a seat and whistle softly to myself while we wait. Bruck, Ehruss and Tomas do likewise. Shalla is the only exception, pacing back and forth across the room, muttering angrily to herself.

"Calm down, the Force guides everything and we'll get past this." She rounds on me, opens her mouth to say something and then sighs. Wow, I can hear the exhaustion in that. She's seriously overworking herself I think.

"I know, I get that I do. It's just, all this is the first major breakthrough we've had. If what Dryson knows can help then we'll be able to stop the production of these droids." She takes a seat and massages her temples slowly.

"Don't focus on it, your frustrations will only breed more problems for you." Some of the best advice Master Tavik ever gave me. Ehruss nods slowly in agreement.

"Agreed, patience and calm are needed when hunting a quarry." Ehruss… we aren't hunting...whatever it works well enough I guess. Shalla laughs softly at that, okay good job Ehruss I take it all back.

Any further conversation is halted when the door opens, and the guards lead in a man I already know I'm not going to get along with at all.

He looks like a scumbag, and the drab prison uniform only makes it worse. He smiles when he sees us, or Shalla in particular, and it isn't a friendly smile. No, it's the smile of a shark that has caught scent of blood in the water. The guard takes his leave as Dryson steps forward.

"Shalla, dear! How wonderful of you to show up to save me." He spreads his arms wide in greeting. All of it is faked. He's not even trying to hide it, and Shalla isn't fooled.

"Don't give me that! What did you do? You called us here because you had information and now we get here you've gotten yourself arrested over a debt!" Dryson raises hand as if to ward off her anger. He's still got that fake smile plastered on his face, and it unnerves me.

"It was an accident, no one could have predicted it. It was just a little bet, and then more and more people got involved and things sort of escalated beyond my control." Shalla scowls and watches him like a hawk. I have a feeling the caveat of this little sidequest is about to be revealed.

"And how much did this little bet escalate to? A few hundred thousand credits?" Now his smile breaks, just a little bit. I flinch reflexively cause I know the next words out of his mouth are going to be painful, physically and emotionally.

"More like… a million or so? It was a particularly…. Excited betting pool. I might have been drinking just a little bit as well." A million credits, I don't have that much money unless I decided to break the Aurodium coins I still have left. I'm not doing that; I need them for Anakin and for the just in case extreme issues.

"A million! I don't have that much money, and I can't get that much money anytime soon, if at all!" Shalla is completely done even pretending to not be furious with him. Dryson offers no defense for his actions, too emotional to even try.

"I was drunk! I never meant to bet that big, but I was already too invested by the time I realized the potential danger. You gotta get me out of here, I can't live as a slave, they'll force me to work off the debt at the lowest rate possible. It'll be decades before I get out of it!" He pleads, and for a moment I'm convinced he'll drop to his knees to beg.

Man, I'm gonna be so annoyed if I end up having to break one of the three remaining aurodium coins for this asshole.

"It's not my fault you got in over your head and made a stupid fucking decision! This whole agreement was cash for information on Black Sun. You provide the information and I'll give you the money you're owed for it. I'll even throw in an extra twenty percent for your troubles." Dryson shakes his head vigorously, no surprise there.

"No, I'm not going into slavery, I'd rather die. If you want the information, and it is well worth it I assure you, then you'll need to get me out of here."

"Fine, we'll find a way to get you out. But I swear if this information isn't worth the trouble I'll have your head." Shalla says, if scowls were flamethrowers, Dryson would be incinerated right now. She heads for the door, and the rest of us turn to follow. I swear I'm going to be annoyed if I have to spend my aurodium coins getting this bastard out.

"Idiot! Greedy self-serving bastard! I hate him, that fucking asshole!" I lean back in the galley seat as Shalla rants her heart out. I mean, it's good to let her get her frustrations out I guess? I don't really care either way. We know what needs to be done, and I just need to go find a bank to do it.

"How the hell are we going to get a million credits to pay off his debt?" Bruck asks eventually and I sigh loudly.

"I've got a few aurodium coins left, I'll just exchange one in the morning and get him out. Then we get the intel and go." Shalla finally stops her ranting, a little happier now that a way out is open. I'm going to be bitter about it later I'm sure, but whatever I guess.

"No! Don't spend your money on the bastard! He doesn't deserve it." Aladaa pipes up from in the kitchen. She's got a bowl of some sort of candy and is munching from it occasionally. I should be worried about her learning bad language, but she already knows quite a bit, and I'm not her mother.

"Unless you have a million credits available or know where I can get it then I have to, we need that information." She reaches for something on the galley counter, a piece of flimsi? She grabs it and excitedly presents it to me. I focus on it with a frown, oh no, oh no Aladaa.

"I'm not entering the big Tournament thing, how is that the least bit subtle?" I mean, it's going to be broadcast all across Senex and possibly outside it! Aladaa frowns, but points to a specific part of the poster.

"Look, the grand prize is fifteen million credits, second place is ten. The victor gets granted a minor noble title. You could enter as a Matukai and probably still win the entire thing! There's a qualifier melee tomorrow, the last two standing earn a place in the main bracket! You and Tomas could enter, double the chance to win." That's just, there's no way; I don't even know where to begin.

"And if we don't win? These people spend their whole lives practicing for these kinds of duels." Granted, I've been training all my life as well, and even without really using the more obvious Force powers I have a good shot. The option for loss is still there. Aladaa grins.

"Well, that's why I'll be making big bets on you, all you need to do is win enough for me to get at least a million credits surplus and we're set even if you lose." I throw my hands up and look to the others for support. Tomas shrugs.

"I wouldn't be against it, it sounds challenging and challenge is what makes us grow. Where else could we test and hone our skills? Besides if you win and are ennobled, could you not use that advantage to get into official places?" Dammit Tomas! I know you're an Echani, but come on, you gotta support me here!

"I'm on board as well, the perks would be invaluable for us here. You could hear something about the Javin captives. That's half the reason we went after Black Sun isn't it? This could be our best chance to get an actual lead on where they ended up." That's… actually a good point, but I really don't like the idea of being onstage watched by millions of people! I know I'll enjoy the actual combat, but still!

"Champion is a title worthy of Grashkowh, we have time." I sigh and turn to Shalla, the last bastion of sanity in our group. She looks from me to the others, then shrugs, traitor.

"As long as we get the information needed then I don't care. You guys do what you want." And with that, I have been betrayed by my companions either with tacit support for this plan or by their indifference.

"Fine, just….fine. Whatever, I'll take part in this tournament. Tomas, you're joining too, I'm not going through this alone." Maybe, just maybe under a false name and with an Echani at my side, I'll go mostly unnoticed for Viera Sarat.

Unlikely, but maybe.


	67. Knight Errant: Chapter Seventeen

36BBY Caltinia.

I'm sitting in the Horizon's makeshift medical bay watching apprehensively as the 2-1B surgical droid approaches. Really, its one of Aladaa's better purchases for the ship, having an onsite medic, even a droid, is a major benefit for our group. The Freight droid and astromech were a bit stranger, but no less useful so no complaints.

I just sort of regret the words I spoke previously, is it too late to exchange a coin for Dryson's freedom? The surgical droid loads the chemical concoction into the syringe. Buying this modification was a lot more costly than I had expected it to be. It was certainly far more than I wanted to pay for this, which granted wasn't that much, but still.

"Please hold still ma'am, the surgery will only take a few minutes at most." The droid notices my apprehension, and I sigh, drawing on the Force. Calm, I must be calm. This is only a temporary change. Just a hair color change, some extensions, and a slight shift in my voice. That's all, just until the end of this tournament.

The mask I've chosen to wear rests on the table beside me, next to the sword I purchased for the event itself. Unfortunately, the Wan-shen isn't going to be allowed in the tournament. Polearms in a primarily sword based competition is basically cheating. Granted, I'm already sort of cheating by having the Force.

But I'm okay with cheating that way, since they aren't likely to find out about that. I'm basically spitting on the spirit of this competition but oh well. Sometimes I wonder about my actions. This isn't one of those times thankfully.

Everyone else has left to give me at least the illusion of privacy for this operation. We'd talked about fake eyes to fool people, but there just isn't enough time to get them. Besides, I really don't want cybernetic eyes. I like being a Miraluka, and I don't want to look like I'm ashamed of it.

More extensive surgeries would have taken too long, and I'm really not comfortable changing too much about my body. I'm no supermodel worried about losing her beauty, nor even half that vain, but I just don't feel comfortable with such extensive changes.

A simple mask, some hair extensions, and a different hair color. No one's gonna suspect me of being a Miraluka, much less a Jedi. After all, why would a Jedi take part in a tournament broadcast across the Senex sector? Especially one with such a large bounty on her head.

I'm also going to assume some sort of identity for the duration of the tournament. We checked on the application and there's no rule against giving an alias for the tournament. If I win I'll need to give an actual name, but by that point I'll be off Caltinia, and it'll be fine.

"Ma'am, I am ready to begin." I breathe out and relax as the 2-1B droid approaches me, the syringe full of chemicals in one of its hands.

I don't even begin to understand the science behind the scope of bodily modification available to me. Transgenderative surgery, transspecies surgery, and countless ways to change your physical form. All of those require actual surgeons and a lot more equipment and time than I have available to me. Thankfully as we found out, a simple hair coloring, lengthening, and vocal shifter is super easy to accomplish in comparison.

The 2-1B droid extends the syringe and after a moment inserts it into my veins. It's a minor annoyance, but the real odd part is the growth of hair. The sound of it is horrible, almost like rustling grass, but it's the knowledge that my head shouldn't be making that sound that is horrifying to me.

"Force, that's terrifying." I have to hold back a wince as my voice cracks; it's getting deeper now. I want to break the droid and stop this, but it's necessary! I hate it, and the minute I don't need it, I'm turning it back, that's the only consolation, that this isn't a permanent change.

The next few minutes are like hours, but eventually the droid steps back and announces that the operation is done. I sit up and get off the short bed we've appropriated for medical purposes. Oh I don't like this. I don't like this at all.

I can feel hair on my back. Oh I'm going to have to pull this into a ponytail of some sort. Okay, breathe in, breathe out, be calm. I can deal with it; it's just frustrating and horrible. I head to the door and step outside to find everyone else waiting for me.

"What are you all waiting on me for?" I ask and immediately wince at the deeper voice. Bruck shrugs from his seat.

"On you I guess, you done freaking out, or should we be watching you for panic attacks?" I frown and say nothing, turning to Tomas even as Bruck finds himself floating before being dropped unceremoniously back down into his chair.

Tomas wisely ignores Bruck's mild cursing and holds up the sword he purchased. Good, then we're both ready. Aladaa already signed us up for the qualifying melee, so we just need to show up. I place the mask over my face and look at Tomas. The mask is reasonably comfortable I suppose, but as long as it says on my face it doesn't matter.

"How's it look?" I ask no one in particular. Ehruss shrugs, and Aladaa gives a thumbs up. Bruck rolls his eyes.

"It looks as silly now as when you bought it, but hell it'll work to protect your identity. Just make sure no one breaks it, okay?" I nod, not much worry there; I'm confident I can handle the competition here.

"Aladaa, you have our tags?" She nods and hands me two small identification tags. They're officially marked, and basically prove we're registered to participate in the melee. Tomas grabs his while I look over mine before frowning.

"Why am I registered as 'The Sentinel'?" Aladaa tries to look innocent but is failing horribly. I look over to Tomas who is examining his own tag.

"Tomas, what did she put you down as?" He looks up and shrugs.

"I'm still Tomas." So I'm the only one to get the silly pseudonym! I turn back to her, and she can only shrug in response, which is not reassuring at all.

"You said you didn't want to give an actual name they could track, this is a cover name. You're a mystery competitor! No one's going to want to bet on you winning, so when I do it we'll win big! I bet by end of the melee I'll have earned enough money to spring Dryson with money to spare!" She smiles proudly at her achievement, and I can only sigh at her antics. I suppose I can tolerate it for a time. The comments are going to be so annoying to me.

"Oh, and I'm going to need one of your coins Viera, That'll be a perfect draw to sucker in some bets." I know that she's right even as she says it, but still I sigh and hesitate as I head for my room to grab one of the few remaining Aurodium coins in my possession. It's not like I'm going to lose. I've got this initial melee at least, and it'll be all I need.

I crouch under my bunk and reach for the compartment the coins are located in and grab one. It's pretty small, all things considered, but still worth a lot. I mean, she's right, she does need some sort of credit to put down if she wants to seriously gamble on me and Tomas.

I grab some other supplies and begin fussing with my now longer hair. I need it in a ponytail of some sort, or else it's just going to bug me to death, and I hate it. When I get back to the galley, Tomas has his weapon and mine ready. I toss the coin to Aladaa who whistles and tucks it safely in her pocket.

"I expect that back once I've won the melee." I tell her, and she nods, rolling her eyes at my insistence. I need those coins for Anakin, whenever I get around to going to Tatooine. I've got too much to do right now. He'll keep, right? What could happen on Tatooine? It's still a relative criminal stronghold.

"We ready to go?" I look around. Tomas nods, so do Bruck, Ehruss, and the others. They've all agreed to at least come and spectate the event out of support. Not like I'll need it, but it's also not like they really have much else to do.

"I'm good to go, ready to win Viera?" I nod to Tomas, making sure to get into the habit of looking at him as if I had eyes. I'm going to at least need to pretend lest people get suspicious of me. I'm committed to doing this well.

"Yeah, I'm ready for a good old fashioned brawl, no pressure to save a planet or a princess, no worries about form or style." I can just let loose a little bit, vent some frustrations on some fools and be happy with myself.

We head down the ramp and make our way to the arena where I've been scheduled. Even in the early morning light the streets are crowded with people, and I can see what looks like other competitors rushing around. Some of them give me and Tomas looks, but most are too focused on getting to their stage.

"So, Tomas. I know you're not as good with a weapon. You gonna be alright?" I say, jabbing at him a little bit. It's good for killing time, and not thinking about the bounty on my head and trying to figure out who wants me dead that badly. He smiles slightly and shrugs.

"If it comes down to it, I'll simply beat them hand to hand. Are you sure you can deal with a sword? It weighs a lot more than a lightsaber. I know you're more used to weightless lightsabers." I smirk and shake my head, as if I can't use a more traditional sword.

"Ah well, we'll see how it goes. Wanna make a bet?" He turns his head towards me a little curiously now.

"Oh, what kind of bet? I'm up for a good competition." Shalla rolls her eyes and starts a conversation with Aladaa as Ehruss walks silently behind us.

"I bet I can knock out more opponents than you can. Only two people can advance from this melee to the main event. That'll be us, so I bet I take out more of the competition than you do?" He smiles, and I can feel his appreciation. Ah, I knew he'd like that idea; he's such a typical Echani with his love of conflict and martial prowess.

"Sure, I'm more than down for that, what're the terms?" What are the terms? What do I want more specifically…. Hmm I know what I want.

"Okay, how bout this, the loser buys as many drinks as the winner wants for one night." Booze, free booze is even better. Tomas nods, even as Bruck rolls his eyes at me. What? I know I'm predictable like that, but I don't have that many luxuries I indulge in. Good alcohol just happens to be one of them.

"Done, when I win you have to buy me as much alcohol as I want. There's two days in between the qualifier and the main event. Plenty of time to get drunk and sober up." He raises a hand, and I do likewise. We clasp hands briefly, and the pact is set, winner buys booze.

"If you two are done, we need you to focus, at least long enough to win the melee." I wave off Bruck's concern. Come on, the two of us are more than capable enough of winning this.

"We got it Bruck, don't worry, this is our stress relief."

"I'm not actually stressed, I'd like to point that out." I shrug.

"Okay, it's my stress relief then, give me this one moment." Bruck shakes his head, more amused than annoyed, and we continue on our way. The place for my group isn't too far from the ship thankfully, and we've arrived in twenty minutes.

There's already a huge crowd, but there's a separate line for competitors, which is awesome. I'd be pissed if I had to wait in that huge line.

"Don't you lose now, I've got money riding on you." Aladaa gives me a quick hug, and I hug her back. Aww how adorable, she's worried about me…. And the money. She goes off to give Tomas a quick hug, while I turn to Ehruss, Bruck, and Shalla.

"Bruck, make sure she doesn't get in over her head. Shalla, make sure Bruck doesn't get in over his head. Ehruss, just be there to clean up when everything goes to shit." Ehruss bows her head quickly.

"I shall do this, Grashkowh." I smile and head off towards the competitor's line with Tomas. There's a few dozen people filing through, men and women alike. All of them human, and we're the two near-humans of the lot. Tomas gets some looks, some very appreciative looks, from the female population, but nothing really hateful. It makes sense I guess; he looks completely human aside from whatever Echani features he carries, silver eyes, hair or both.

Me though, I get all kinds of looks. Yep, I am a grown woman, sword on my belt and face completely covered by a mask. I'm a luchadora! I can feel their amusement, scorn, flabbergasted curiosity. After all, who would be silly enough to dress up in a mask for such an important event?

"Looks like we've been noticed, Sumati." Tomas switches to my alternate name easily enough, and I shake my head in vague amusement, looking forwards at my competitors.

They look competent enough I guess. Some of them are muscular, others more lithe. Some of them have easy defined stances, while others seem more loose and unconcerned. There's one brute of a man; he has to be nearly eight feet tall with a gigantic sword on his back. Force, he's probably going to be the most difficult challenge in this melee. He's like a damned mountain. Tomas and I are probably going to need to team up against him.

"Quite the wide range of competitors we've got." I say, looking around. It is a little intimidating how many people are in this line. How's this melee going to work? Are we just being pushed into the ring and left to brawl until two are left? That sounds very uncoordinated for an event like this.

"At least the line's moving pretty quickly, aside from the giant there doesn't seem to be anyone else standing out." That so? Well, I presume most of the people in line are reasonably skilled with their chosen weapon.

"Yeah, sucks to be Aladaa and the others though." I look back, and they haven't moved more than five or so feet. Yeah, ouch, sorry everybody. The people at the counter where we're entering are busy, but they seem to be doing a good job of getting people through.

When Tomas and I get up to the counter, the woman manning it gives me one look and chokes back a laugh. Yeah, this is what I was expecting, whatever. I comfort myself by imagining the look on her face when I advance through the melee.

"Okay, desperado, let me see your registration form." Okay, you don't have to snicker at me; it wasn't that funny. I hand her the datastick with my registration, and she punches it into a machine behind her booth. As soon as the information comes up on the screen she rolls her eyes before confirming it.

"Okay, 'Sentinel, you're approved. Head to locker 166D if you want to change or store anything important before the melee." She hands me the datastick with my information back, and I nod.

"Thank you, ma'am." She smiles and shakes her head as she gestures for me to head through. As I head into the building I sigh as I hear her call back to me.

"Good luck, Sentinel!" I'm going to be hearing that a lot, best prepare for it now I guess. Tomas is already waiting for me inside.

"I got locker 331A, how about you?" That's a bit farther away than mine, I come to a stop beside him and look around. The inside of this arena is amazingly big. There's no fewer than ten different fully stocked food vendors here alone, and I can see more farther down the walkway.

Hmm, what's the arena look like. I focus further in and whistle in appreciation. That's a big arena; now I know what they're going to do with us. I take my datastick and plug it into my datapad, looking over the information provided carefully.

"Tomas, check your datastick and tell me what entry point you've been put in?" He nods and checks his datastick, silent for only a moment before responding.

"I'm at E1, how about you?" I hold up my datapad and shake it back and forth.

"A3 for me, they're splitting up where people enter the arena, which is pretty cool by the way." He looks at me curiously, and I shake my head. I'll let him see the arena for himself.

"Ah well, then I'll see you in the arena Sumati, best of luck." I smile and nod, though he can't see it behind the mask.

"Same to you Tomas, remember the bet, drinks tonight." He laughs and gives me a thumbs up as he heads on his way. I do the same, heading off in the direction of my locker, at least if the signs are any indication.

The signs take me upstairs and down two hallways before leading me to a nice, medium sized locker room. There are a dozen other women inside all changing or otherwise preparing for the coming melee. A few of them look up at me. One shakes her head. Another smiles in amusement, and the smile is mixed with some other things I don't want to really contemplate.

I ignore them and head over to my locker. I don't really have anything to store except my datapad, and I don't really feel like talking to anyone else here. I close the locker with my datapad and head back out of the locker room and off downstairs to my waiting zone.

There are only a few people here besides me and I give them all a quick nod before finding myself a seat and settling down for a good long rest.

I don't know how long I sleep for; my dreams are frantic but indecipherable. The sound of a loud buzzer wakes me from my dream and finds me on my feet in a matter of moments. The gate is much more crowded now. At least sixty people are here, all of them focused on the door leading to the arena.

Oh, is it time now? I begin stretching to warm myself up, here we go. I'm a little anxious actually; it's strange, but that only makes it even more exciting. I know I've got a purpose for being here, for trying to win this that goes beyond simple enjoyment. But I'm still going to enjoy it regardless, even if there were no Black Sun to find, or criminals to fight, I'd come here if I knew about it.

"Competitors, file in, come on let's go, hurry up!" A man, clearly a member of the arena staff, walks up and down the line gesturing to the opening door and urging us through. I join the flowing crowd into the arena and take the first chance to just look at the place.

As I'd noticed before the arena is huge, and more to the point it's separated into different levels connected by wide ramps. There's raised blocks five feet tall spread out through the arena to provide terrain challenges as well as trees and other additions.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!" A voice echoes out of the loudspeaker for all the audience to hear. Speaking of an audience, I don't know how many are in the audience, but there are a lot of them. Aladaa and the others are in one of the higher seats towards the back. I wave to them, even though they can't really see me.

The rest of my group spreads out a bit so as not to be bunched up, and I mirror them; space is good to have.

"Welcome to this qualifying round of 'The Great Game'! Today in this arena, 500 souls compete to be one of two lucky competitors to move on in this superb test of martial prowess! Get ready for true excitement, suspense, and thrill as these men and women fight for your entertainment!" The crowd roars in response, and the sound echoes through my bones.

"Now, don't you worry folks, there is an energy suppression field that prevents competitors from suffering mortal wounds and there are medical personnel on standby! So! Competitors, do not be worried for your fellows, fight with all your might and let your warrior spirit shine through!" Oh, how does that work I wonder. I suppose as long as it does work, it doesn't matter.

"Challengers! Prepare yourselves, when the buzzer goes off, the fight will begin! The last two competitors standing move on to the next round!" I draw the sword from my belt. Its weight is good in my hands, and I spin it experimentally. I look around at the other competitors, and I can see them doing likewise. The tension's back now, that one moment before the battle begins.

Where's Tomas? Ah, he's two levels above me. I'll have to fight my way to him eventually, but he's fine where he is for the moment. That mountain of a man is below me, and that's equally okay. If I'm lucky, someone else beats him for me.

I get ready, breathe in and breathe out. This is sorta what I trained for, though I doubt Master Tavik ever expected he'd be teaching me to fight in a tournament. I should send him a message after this, let him know how I'm doing and see what he's up to.

"BEGIN!" I immediately take a step back and swing behind me as the battle begins. My sword clashes against another and the ring of metal on metal is drowned out by the cheers of the crowd.

Game on.


	68. Knight Errant: Chapter Eighteen

36BBY Caltinia.

My sword crashes against his in a ring of metal on metal. The man presses forward, trying to bring his weight down to force past my own defense. He's young, human, and, by the looks of it, well trained for this competition.

Perhaps surprisingly to him, I hold my ground and refuse to budge. My conditioning hasn't changed. This guy doesn't hit as hard as Ilena can when she wants too, and I hold my own against Ilena all the time. I never win, but no one can say I can't put on a good showing.

I step to the side, sliding my sword alongside his as he moves forward as the resistance lessens. He's smart though and not going to let me off-balance him. He steps back and disengages to recover and plan his attack.

I'm not about to let him do that and press the attack, bringing my sword down at his shoulder. He blocks, and the battle continues as I relentlessly assault his defenses. Each strike faster and stronger than the one before it as I delve more and more into the Matukai physical enhancement techniques.

Got to admit, this guy isn't half bad as far as duelists without the Force go, and he's clearly enjoying our duel if the smile on his face is any indication. I like you nameless man, sorry to end your chance of winning this. Better luck next decade?

The end is neither dramatic nor necessarily quick. We dance around each other with fancy footwork and clashes of steel as we each try to score a good hit. He falters first, and my sword slams into his upper thigh. How it doesn't cut his leg off I'm not sure, but the effect is notable. He staggers, and his defense crumbles. A follow up strike to the chest sends him down to the ground.

Him out of the fight, I try to take stock of the situation before another fighter presents herself and attacks. Huh, well okay then, that should be expected. New girl is certainly faster than the other guy. I block a strike and lash out at her only for her to dance out of my range and come in to attack me again.

Footwork is a little tricky here; I've lost count of how many times I've had to hold back from trying an acrobatic leap or some other obvious feat of Force mastery. That of course cuts out the vast majority of lightsaber forms. I never got around to learning Makashi, too focused on taking advantage of my strength and speed advantage with Form V.

As such, I've been using little bits of Shii-cho alongside simply barbarically swinging my sword around like a madwoman. I mean, as long as you've got speed and strength, style can slide at times, right? It's working out so far, but I also chalk that up to the Force warning me of potential dangers.

The lady in front of me lets out a cry and swings low for my legs. Okay then, I step forward and roughly shove my way into her guard, knocking the sword from her hands with a quick movement and ending her participation in the melee in one stroke.

She falls to the ground with a cry, clutching painfully at her chest and groaning softly. Okay, now where the hell was I? Everyone around me is busy fighting or knocked out of the fight. Several people have already fallen, but most are locked into combat with individual foes. Swords seem to be the norm, but one gentleman seems to have a doublebladed sword. How that works is unclear. I can get a doublebladed lightsaber cause it's weightless, but whatever. He's kicking ass so I have no room to question it I suppose.

Speaking of, he seems to be just about done with his foe. I think I'll take him on next. He has to have talent if he can use one of those with skill. How's Tomas by the way? I reach out for him in the Force. He's doing fine, but I need to step up my game anyway. Booze is on the line here, and the money of course.

I head off in the direction of my next target, weaving in and out of various duels just as the other man finishes off his opponent. He looks around and grins when he sees me. I wave back with my free hand just as we approach each other.

"Hey there masked woman, nice to meet you. That a fashion statement or are you just shy?" He smiles. A joker are we? Well, I suppose he's not necessarily wrong? A bit of both I would say if I'm being honest with myself.

"Masks are all the rage these days, masks are cool." I reply as he swings for me with one end of the weapon, only to stop and switch to the other side at the last second. Yipes, my sword blocks his strike, but it is a close thing.

If the Force hadn't warned me? Well, experience still might have told me it was coming, but I wouldn't have been fast enough to block it. Smiling man whistles appreciatively and twirls the hilt in his hand, blade spinning easily as he does so.

"Excellent work miss, you're not some joker I can tell that much. Very well, I'll humor your anonymity." He goes back on the offensive again, swinging left and right with intense speed. They're not particularly strong blows. Force knows he has it, but instead he's conserving energy in favor of speed.

"You're pretty handy yourself." He swings high, and my blade rises to meet his, the screech of metal on metal fills my ears. "Not many people can master a weapon like that." He reverses and comes up with the other side, and I dance away from it.

"I appreciate the compliment, but don't think I'll go easy on you." Oh, is that exhaustion I hear? That weapon has to be especially tiring. And here I am not the least bit winded, and ain't that the cheating part of this whole endeavor.

All those others who've tired and faltered, but me and Tomas are still going no problem. I think I'm going to do my best not to use that if I end up going to the main event. I really only need to win this melee, with the money we earn we'll get Dryson free.

Enough talk though, time to go on the attack. I surge forward and thrust the sword at his chest, but he spins his blade down to block and lashes out with the other end. I grunt as I lean to the right to dodge and lash at him.

It's a weak strike, and it glances off his side. He hisses in pain but takes the moment to lash out and land a glancing blow on my arm. Damnit, the pain stings a bit, but with luck no bruise later. Though, seriously, even with lethal injuries somehow blocked, how many broken ribs or concussions do they have to deal with here?

I breathe out and press the assault; my sword arcs gracefully through the air towards him. He blocks, and I continue on, a quick thrust transformed into a sideswipe, an overhead clashing against his blade. I alternate fast flowing attacks with slower stronger ones to throw him off balance.

He's getting a little slower each strike. Those double-bladed swords aren't really meant for defense; they're meant for overwhelming offense. Not quite the same for double-bladed lightsabers, but even still it's still the same principle. As fast as I am, and as tireless as I am, he can't get much of a strike in.

I swing hard, and when he raises his weapon to block the force knocks the weapon from his hand. I take the moment to spin and slam the flat of my blade into his chest. He goes down with a pained cry and lies still. Okay, he's down for the count. I sigh and look around. I don't need to look around, but it might be suspicious if I don't at least pretend I have human eyes. My former opponent groans in pain.

"Sorry bout that, you were very talented, gotta go now though. Best of luck!" I wade back into the melee, ignoring his pained laugh and muttered 'asshole'.

Nice guy, and I mean that in all seriousness.

This level seems to be thinning out rapidly enough, more and more beaten contestants. Tomas is doing well above me, and that Mountain is dominating everything below me. Okay, so beat down the rest of the people here, go up to help Tomas, and double-team that mountain main down below.

"Stop right there!" I bring my sword up to block but have to backpedal to avoid the second swing. Okay, this is interesting. The pair of ladies before me have decided to team up together to win the melee. And I am in their way, lovely. Where's Tomas to back me up when I need him?

"Okay, ladies, please can we talk about this?" Another swing from the woman on the left, short hair, nearly shaved while the second, long-haired woman moves right to flank me. "At the very least can't it be one at a time?" She swings at me from the right, guess not, and I press forward pushing against the other woman's blade enough to move forward and out of the path.

Okay, two on one, no overt Force abilities and I need to win here, fantastic. Alright, so I can't let them flank me. I have to split them up and fight them one on one. How do they look? Shaved lady looks okay, not really tired, but her friend is breathing a little heavy. Okay, separate shaved head and knock down the more tired one.

Easier said than done. They come at me again, and I give ground at every move, batting aside strikes and slipping away from their attempts to flank me. Adrenaline pumping, I lash out occasionally, probing their defenses and trying to take advantage of the one woman's tiredness.

I need something to separate them. I could try to retreat into the ever dwindling crowd of people dueling on this level, but that has its own risks. There was some terrain here somewhere, wasn't there? Raised blocks to serve as terrain, where was it… ah there's one behind me a ways! I start retreating towards it and smile behind the mask when I feel their anticipation. They'll probably try to pin me between them and the block.

Good, I can make use of that eagerness. I continue backing up, taking measured steps and being sure to look behind me to get a good view of the raised block. I have to fend off another assault from the pair, but I think I've got it.

I stop a few feet from the block and tense, muscles ready and waiting, before I turn and dash towards it. They follow immediately, and I grab hold of the block to vault myself over, sliding across the smooth metal and wincing at the sound of metal on metal as their swords slam down against the block, mere inches from my fingers. Yikes.

But okay! I'm on the other side, and now my foes are faced with a choice, split up or come at me from one side together? The former puts them at risk of me picking them off, and the latter doesn't stop me from continuously moving away from them and any subsequent danger. Their choice really. Both of them look at each other quickly, exchanging some unspoken signal, and then they both split up to come at me from either side.

Alright then, time to take out the tired one. I sprint towards her, blade swinging high as she raises her weapon to block. Our swords clash, and she steps back under the force as I push off and swing sideways at her arm. Wait, why isn't she breathing heavy anymore? I see the smirk on her face, the savage edge to it, and realize I've been had just as her friend comes up behind me.

Sneaky ladies, she was only pretending to be tired to lure me in. Okay, time to be a little clever and a little more skilled than I'm trying to appear to be. I was never told there was a rule about grappling.

My other hand reaches out to grab the wrist of the woman behind me, hand twisting to force her sword from her hands. She fumbles for the weapon while her friend tries to push past my sword. I summon the Force, pour it into my muscles and force the long haired woman's sword up, before bringing my knee up into her chest. She slumps almost immediately from the force of it.

I bring the flat of my sword down hard on her back, and she drops to the ground, now for her short-haired friend. I swing my sword around just as she stands, and her sword is battered aside, leaving her more than open for the thrust to her gut and a follow up contact at her head with the flat of the blade.

Okay, who's left on this level...one guy. I look at him; he's breathing heavy and looking at me. I must look quite odd, a silly mask and yet I've made it this far and am not the least bit winded. I raise my sword, and he grimaces before slowly backing away and heading for the ramp downstairs.

Huh, mountain man is dominating down there, so he might have been better off with me. Whatever though, I'm going upstairs for Tomas. As soon as I start heading up, the doors open, and medical personnel rush in to help the downed contestants to their feet or carry them from the field and to medical for any injuries. Good on them, safety first.

I head up the ramp to the upper platform where Tomas got put. I whistle a tune as I go, looks like Tomas is just about finished up here. Man, this place was wild. As soon as I reach the top of the ramp, Tomas turns to me and waves.

"Hey, good to see you. I was a bit worried you'd been beaten, you took so long. Oh and six, by the way." I grimace a little, maybe I should have taken on that guy then. I'm one behind him in terms of score.

"Got a gentlemen with a double-bladed sword, he was a bit more difficult than I'd predicted, then a pair of ladies working together against me. Five for me, though it looks like mountain man is going to dominate the lower levels. We should probably go get ready to take care of him." He nods and heads my way, resting his own weapon lightly against his shoulder.

He joins me, and we both start walking back downstairs. Aha, it seems mountain man found a compatriot to work with. The two of them are heading back up. We're going to meet on the middle level then.

Gosh, he's intimidating close up. I'm not a short woman, but he still towers over me and is rippling with muscle. He looks like he could tear through a durasteel wall with no problem, jeez. The greatsword in his hand is almost as tall as me, and there's no sign of exhaustion in him.

His companion isn't quite as impressive, short but a bit stocky, completely bald but with an amazing beard. Seriously, it's quite impressive to behold. There's a longsword in his hand, and he breathes lightly but seems otherwise fine.

"Gentlemen." I greet casually, giving a short wave. The mountain doesn't reply, simply glaring at the two of us, but the shorter man smiles and bows theatrically.

"A pleasure, the competitors downstairs have been dealt with, there are no other competitors here, and I can't hear anymore fighting upstairs. May I assume you two are the last standing competitors?" He has a rough accent, but otherwise seems cheery enough. Not sure what I feel about that, either he's cocky or knows something we don't…. Or both. Tomas nods, a small smile on his face.

Glad to see he's enjoying himself, so am I. This has been fun all things considered. The short man smiles and readies his longsword. His taller companion mirrors the move, holding the giant blade in one hand like it weighed nothing at all.

"Well then, I guess this will decide who goes onwards to true competition. I gotta say, whoever wins it's been an honor. My name's Dorin, my companion Graf, I'd hear your names before we begin." Huh, awfully nice of them to say that. I suppose it couldn't hurt, fair's fair.

"My name is Tomas, my companion has decided to go by the name Sentinel." Tomas bows and readies his weapon, shifting to face Graf. I shrug and turn to face Dorin. "Prepare yourselves, and fight well." With that he dashes in Graf's direction, sword arcing towards the larger man.

I move more cautiously towards my opponent, lunging at Dorin and forcing him back. I really do need to move this fight away from Tomas and the big guy, Graf. It wouldn't be a good thing if we were to bump into each other. Especially with Graf, mobility and maneuverability are key.

He's a lot better than the other people I've fought today. I strike downwards, and he blocks. Left or right, low or high, he blocks it all. More than that he strikes back, lashing out with quick, powerful blows that even with my Matukai strength are noticeable.

I block a downward strike only to slide back as he slams his weight behind it, trying to throw me back. I plant my feet and hold my ground, pushing back with all my strength. The Force gives me a warning moments before a fist slams into my gut, oh Force that hurts. I don't lose focus, though it is only tireless conditioning that keeps me from slumping.

As such it's easier to notice when he disengages and steps back long enough to lunge for me. The Force guides my sword as it slams down to bat his to the side. I twist and lash out with a follow-up strike, doing my best to take the given opportunity, but he dodges only barely.

"Quite the strength you got there miss, I appreciate it." Dorin chuckles and crouches to swing low for my legs. I jump up to dodge and bring my sword down to block his upwards thrust. I can't help it, I smile behind the mask as I push back and take the moment to aim for his shoulder.

"Same to you, quite the talent you've got there. I still have to win this fight though. My apologies." He laughs as as we exchange blows, one after the other. I can hear Tomas and Graf in the background, roaring and striking at each other.

Really need to beat Dorin quickly and get off to Graf if I want to win the bet. Unfortunately, he's not obliging me very well. Hmm, strategy time! I slash at him once more, and he predictably blocks. I lock our blades together, pressing against him with all my strength. He grunts with exertion but holds his ground.

"Sorry, Dorin. It's mean but I don't want to have to pay for alcohol tonight, so I need to beat you quickly." He looks confused for a moment, right before I slam forward and headbutt him as hard as I can.

Thank the Force for durable masks, Dorin cries out in pain, and I lash out with a punch to his chest and bring the flat of my blade down on his back when he slumps over. He stumbles back, falling to his knees. I look at him and shake my head, and he falls back, breathing out with a sigh.

Alright, time to go help Tomas. Graf is swinging that sword with almost wild abandon, but he doesn't seem to be hitting Tomas. He isn't tiring either, which is a bit worrying. Graf growls something unintelligible at me but lashes out at me as I approach.

I raise my sword to block and hold back a cry as the weapon is nearly forced from my hand. His strength is incredible, even with my Matukai training he's probably as strong as me, if not stronger. Not much for conversation though.

"Dance around him, he packs a mean punch, but he's slow for it!" Tomas seems to have the right idea, and I go right while he goes left, swords lashing out at every opportunity.

He takes hits without stopping, weapon swinging wildly at us every time we near. Soon enough his free hand joins it as he tries to hit us with arm and sword, rushing one of us as the other attacks him from behind.

Eventually he begins to slow, what feels like hours but could only be minutes at most. Tomas strikes low while I go high, scoring a hit on his knee and chest respectively. Graf cries out in pain and falls to one knee.

That alone spells the end of it. He lashes out wildly each time we close, but it's much simpler now to avoid him and strike. For each of his powerful swings we score two more hits on him. Finally, after what seems an eternity he drops the sword, too strong to simply fall over but with no fight left in him to continue.

And that's that. I'm not really surprised we won eventually, but it's still nice to get there. And it was fun, a lot of fun actually. I liked fighting without having to worry about people trying to kill me. I smile, slowly at first, grinning more and more as the crowd breaks out into applause.

Tomas is right beside me, grinning as well. We've made it into the winning bracket, with luck Aladaa's made enough money on the betting to get Dryson free. But I gotta admit, I like this. I kinda want to fight in the rest of the tournament.

"Will our victors please make their way into the back." A door opens behind us, and we head for it. The people on the other side are dressed nicely in elegant dress. I assume them to be representatives of House Elegin then?

Whatever the case, they lead us through with quick congratulations before taking us further into the stadium, down a long corridor and towards a small, nicely furnished room. Someone pops a cork off some kind of alcohol I don't recognize. It's pleasantly sweet, and I silently make a note to get more of it.

From there they explain to us the rules going forward. As two of 16 finalists we would have to arrive at the Grand Colosseum in two days for the first round of brackets. There would be four rounds, with each round being one day. Supposedly to give the contestants time to rest from any injuries or exertion, but more likely to allow for extended gambling and tourism.

We were given passes and special markers to allow us into the back entrance of the Coliseum, for maximum privacy. Apparently, there had been a precedent in the past for contestants to be mobbed by crowds out front. Seems a smart enough decision.

After that they congratulated us once again on our victory, told us they'd see us again in two days, and sent us along our way. They didn't even complain when I snagged the bottle of wine. As soon as we stepped outside Tomas turned to me.

"So, I'm not quite sure, but I think I won the bet. You owe me booze." I would have rolled my eyes if I could.

"We tied, neither of us won. We both took down Graf together." He laughs, and I turn my attention back to where we're walking to meet up with the others.

"Certainly, but I did more against Graf than you did, so technically I got the down, and you an assist." There's no such thing as assists in real life! That's a game thing, and a poor game thing at that! I sigh anyways.

"Just don't drink too much, we don't need the attention." He smiles and nods slowly. Maybe my wallet won't be affected too much by it. I gotta see if I can find that sweet wine; it was really good.

We meet up with the others in one of the stadium's less crowded corridors. Aladaa grins brightly the minute she sees me, and she runs up to me. I open my arms as she jumps into me, laughing all the while.

"You two were great! That was awesome, we won so much money on you!" Okay, I should have seen that coming. Still, her enthusiasm is appreciated nonetheless. I set her down and look up at Bruck as he approaches.

"A good showing if you like watching people whack each other with pointy metal sticks. Nonetheless, we got more than enough money to free Dryson." I nod slowly and look back at Aladaa.

"How much money?" She pulls out a datapad and hands it to me. I take a moment to look at the figure… woah! That's a lot of money! I look down at her, and she grins.

"The odds were against you, I was practically the only person to bet on you, and the only one who bet on the two of you together. That's your share, I already separated mine." My share! This is enough money to buy a warship; what am I going to do with this much money!

Wait, no. I know exactly what I'm going to do with this money. We're going to buy all the booze tonight! But first, we need to go get Dryson and the information.

"Alright then, I want my coin back, and then we need to go and get Dryson out." Aladaa tosses me the coin, and I pocket it quickly. Got my coin back, I'm happy, woo!

Later, after making our way back to the ship to change, slipping back out to head off to the station, and finally getting the damnable man out of jail, we all make our way back to his home, alcohol in hand. Once inside, Dryson takes a look at his abode and smiles, turning to face us.

Shalla slaps him almost immediately, and he staggers back, rubbing at his cheek slowly. He looks at her and sighs after a moment.

"I guess I deserved that," he says slowly, and she scowls at him. I mean, I wouldn't have hit him, but he does kinda deserve it.

"If you do something that stupid again, I swear I'll leave you to your fate. Now tell us what you've got." He heads for a table, and we follow. Aladaa makes her way to the holonet receiver and turns it on while we all take seats around the table.

I toss Tomas a bottle of corellian ale and open one for myself, of course we had to pick up some alcohol on the way. Bruck grabs himself a drink, and we all take a moment to settle in before Dryson begins to speak.

"Okay, so, I've discovered the identity of the Black Sun Vigo running operations here in Senex. A Dug by the name of Darnada. He's not here himself, but one of his top lieutenants is. A Gran by the name of Synyc. If anyone would know where Darnada is, Synyc would." He says, leaning forward in his seat to stare down Shalla.

A Black Sun Vigo, now wouldn't that be quite the catch. Granted, we have to capture and interrogate the lieutenant first. We can do that though.

"Why is he here? Business?" Shalla seems to have forgotten her previous anger against the man, or maybe she's burying it down really well.

"To watch the tournament, why else? He has a love of the sport, or so I hear. He developed it during his time in Senex. I don't know where he's staying, but he should be at the tournament." Hm, that's a reason to stay at least.

"Shalla, could you and Bruck track him down and get the information while Tomas and I compete?" She turns to look at me and shrugs.

"We could do that, but you're going to stick around for the tournament?" I shrug. I mean, it sounds like fun, and we'll be staying in the area anyways.

"If we're going to be here anyways, we might as well. Besides, the benefits of winning the tournament could be very useful." Not like I'm really interested in this whole minor nobility thing, but being able to get into places I'd never get before would be useful.

"Might as well then, if this guy's top dog for a Vigo, he's probably going to have a good seat, and some good protection around him. We can take him though, right Ehruss." Bruck gives Ehruss a quick jab, and she hisses in agreement.

"We shall do so, Grashkowh. You will win glory for Jedi clan." Shalla shrugs and leans back in her seat.

"I'm down for the chance to test myself against you once again, Viera." Tomas raises his ale in salute, and I smile and raise mine back. It's settled then.

"Hey! Viera, come look at this!" I hear Aladaa call from the living room and stand to go and see what's up with her. Tomas and Bruck follow me as we find Aladaa pointing at the image.

"Look, they're showing a list of the victors!" Huh, might as well see what my competition's gonna look like. I take a seat next to her as names and images flash across the screen each contestant given a bit of commentary and speculation by the commentators.

Hmm, a bunch of people I don't recognize, though they have fancy sounding names and seem to be reasonably well known on Caltinia. Then some scion of House Elegin named Thalassia, the commentators make sure to give her glowing recommendations. To be expected I suppose, but it means nothing to me.

When it finally gets to me and Tomas, I take some amusement about the speculation on my identity, the guesses ranging from some stupid lucky girl to a secret daughter of some noble house or another. Tomas gets a bit more of a glowing recommendation with some speculation given to how his Echani heritage might affect his chances.

Then my jaw drops, literally and metaphorically.

"Is that a Miraluka? It is a Miraluka, rather openly a Miraluka. A woman, female, relatively young. A few years younger than me maybe? I look to Bruck.

"Do you think someone would mistake her for me?" The name Amara Vosh flashes across the screen, and I file the information away for later. I mean, she doesn't seem to be worried about Bounty Hunters, but that could mean anything. Bruck shakes his head after a moment.

"I don't think so, her hair's red, and she's a bit shorter than you." Granted someone could achieve that with genetic modification, but no one expects a Jedi to do something like that.

Needless to say, this tournament just got more interesting. I don't know why she's here. Some Miraluka tend to wander, but that's not that common.

"Well, this is going to be fun." I say to myself and take another sip of my ale.


	69. Knight Errant: Chapter Nineteen

I'm back, sorry for the wait. I was sick all last week, still am but I managed to finish this chapter.

36BBY Caltinia

The morning of the tournament bracket comes without any real fanfare, at least for us. Tomas is already awake when I stumble out of my room already dressed save for my mask. He nods at me over a cup of caf and some fruit as I take a seat across from him in the galley. There's another cup of caf next to him.

"Morning," he says and pushes the extra cup over to me. I take a sip and blanch at the taste; damnit it's far too bitter. I don't know how he drinks that. I have the solution though.

"Really? First thing in the morning?" I ignore him and pour the whiskey into the caf with some nice cream. I take a sip and sigh in relief, that's so much better than black. Tomas shakes his head and goes back to his own cup.

Bruck and Ehruss file in next. It seems we're the morning crew. Shalla likes to sleep, and Aladaa was up all night on the holonet looking up droid maintenance instructions. Shalla has some good technical skill, and Aladaa seems to have taken a liking to it.

Not that I'm going to complain, girl needs a hobby besides her moneymaking schemes. Speaking of, I probably need a hobby as well. Drinking isn't a hobby; it's a lifestyle. I chuckle to myself at my own joke and ignore the look Bruck gives me.

"So, you excited?" I smile as Bruck settles in beside me. He sets down a plate of something delicious in front of me and Tomas. Ah, right, I probably should eat something.

"Yeah, I suppose. I mean, I'm holding back but they're still bound to be skilled. Besides, you're hunting down that Black Sun lieutenant so I don't have to be too worried about wasting time." In truth if that lieutenant wasn't here I'd have just bowed out and kept on my merry way.

Bruck nods and pulls out the datapad with the information Dryson forwarded us. "Shouldn't be too hard to find a Gran on Caltinia, especially if he's come all the way here for the tournament. I'll bet he has a good seat for it."

That's probably true, benefits of his position I would expect. Aladaa got tickets for herself and Shalla. She insisted on being able to bet on us, and Shalla generously volunteered to watch over her.

"Call me if you have any trouble, I can slip out of the tournament to come help." Bruck waves off my concern and points to Ehruss.

"Me and Ehruss can handle some Black Sun flunkies, isn't that right Ehruss?" Ehruss nods in agreement.

"Will not fail you Grashkowh, small prey will not trouble us." Fair enough then, I trust them both to manage it or call if the situation gets really dire. The rest of breakfast is in comfortable silence as we all finish our food and drinks.

Tomas and I bid farewell to our compatriots and head off towards the stadium. With my mask on, I whistle slowly as we make our way down the streets of Caltinia. The one thing I've come to enjoy is how easy it is to just walk everywhere. There's no major vehicle traffic to contend with, and I can spend my time just casually strolling down a beautiful cityscape.

That aside, there are plenty of people about, and I get the uncomfortable feeling they all recognize me and Tomas. Which is a fair assessment cause our faces have been all over the local news in the leadup since the melee qualifiers. Thankfully no one seems interested in stopping us for any reason, and we make our way to the stadium without much incident.

And what a stadium it is; it's easily three times as big as the arena where the melee took place, and from what I can see, there are already plenty of people filing into the building. Thankfully, we've got an alternative entrance, and we go the long way around to the contestant's entrance.

The guard there scans our cards and waves us on through. Inside we are almost immediately greeted by a formally dressed man who talks as if he has blood in his caffeine system. Seriously, he's going a mile a minute, and I can barely understand him.

He leads us down a long corridor lined with paintings and murals of duels from long ago eras and famous figures in Caltinian history all the while never ceasing his conversation. When we arrive at our destination and he waves us through it is a relief.

Inside the room is my competition. Fourteen other men and women of various stripes that I will hopefully beat into submission to earn myself victory. I look at them, and they all look at me in turn.

There's a bit of amusement I sense, but they know that to have survived the melee I have to be at least somewhat skilled, or supremely lucky. Both would be dangerous things for them. Good to know that they'll be taking me somewhat seriously.

Alright, who am I looking at here? Most of them aren't very interesting to me, and I give them a cursory glance before turning my attention to the really important person here. She's off by herself at the other end of the room. She has a small facemask for her eyes as opposed to my simple blindfold, but there she is.

When she looks at me and smiles. I know she sees me for what I am, and that is the question on my mind. Will she out me in front of all these people? It's the perfect opportunity. Amara Vosh holds up a single finger in a shushing motion, and I breathe a sigh of relief.

I still need to talk to her… right now if I can, but there's probably some announcement to be made first.

"And finally, the Echani and the Fool arrive." Excuse me, who's this cocky bastard that I'm going to enjoy tearing to shreds? He's a tall man with tousled hair and looks to be from a well off background… boring.

"And you are? Besides misplaced aggression." He laughs and bows theatrically.

"Meridan Petro, of House Petro at your service. With luck, the victor of this competition." Tomas frowns and shakes his head slowly.

"A scion of a noble house, don't you already have a noble title? Why would you be interested in a competition like this?" A good question really. It's like a rich man playing the lottery. Why would you need it? Meridan smiles and shakes his head at some private joke.

"Oh, if only that were true, no I am but a younger cousin of Lord Hathorn, I've no real prospects for any titles of my own. All of them will go to my older siblings and cousins. For us younger scions, the title and prestige of this tournament are worth quite a lot. Isn't that right Thalassa?" He gestures in the direction of a young woman with a short ponytail sitting at the table a bit further away. The woman, Thalassa, looks up at us and shrugs.

"I'm here for the competition, nothing more, don't include me in your greed, Meridan." She finishes with a very rude hand gesture, to which asshole shakes his head and chuckles. Okay, so they have some sort of history I assume, but I'm not privy to it. I also don't really care anymore; this is a distraction from what really matters.

"Will all contestants please come forward, we are ready to reveal the tournament order!" One of the stadium staff steps up, a holoprojector behind him, and we all gather round to watch. Oh man, I really don't want to fight Tomas right away, please give me Meridan. I wanna kick his ass, oh please!

"Our first match will be between Meridan Petro and Gaen Varn." Varn seems to be a stocky man a head shorter than Meridan, bald, and otherwise unremarkable to me. They both eye each other up as the man continues to list off the first eight matches.

I'm fighting some man named Torin Qualto, and I'm not too interested in who's fighting today outside Tomas and anyone else who sparks my interest. The two fighters head out of the room via one of the side doors. Apparently there's a holonet projector to show us what's going on out there. I'm…. not really interested in watching it right now, too many things to distract me. Everyone seems to split into their own little groups, except for Amara Vosh. The Miraluka woman makes her way over to a table nearby, and I follow her, Tomas behind me.

I don't care as much as I probably should about any suspicion this might raise, but I have questions that need to be asked. Amara takes a seat and two of the chairs slide back of their own volition as she smiles up at me.

"What can I do for you, sister?" she says quietly, and for a moment I'm off balance. What is she? Then it hits me, the memory of older history lessons in the Temple. Tomas looks between us for a moment as he takes his seat.

"Sisters? You're related?" He's understandably confused but thankfully still aware enough to not speak too loudly. I shake my head as I take my own seat.

"No, it's a cultural thing, Miraluka tend to think of each other as part of one big family, hence calling each other brother or sister." Amara smiles and nods, gazing at me curiously.

"You speak as if you do not consider yourself one of us?" There's no real accusation in her voice, but I can't help but flinch a little, that's a bit of a blow against my cover. Amara shakes her head slowly.

"You need not fear, Jedi Sarat. I would not sell out a sister like that." I sigh and run a hand through my hair slowly. I knew she'd see through it. Another Miraluka would be able to see through my disguise easily, and if the bounty is as widespread as it seems to be, she'd put together the clues immediately.

"Well, that's kind of you… sister. I'm curious though, what would bring you to Caltinia? Miraluka aren't known for being great travelers." And if you add that there's currently an insanely high bounty for a Miraluka woman, I'd imagine they'd want to stay where it's safe. Amara shrugs and leans forward to rest her elbows on the table, staring from me to Tomas.

"I suppose, boredom? I'm more interested in the tournament, not the rewards. I wouldn't know what to do with a noble title, nor am I in it for the glory. I just wanted to challenge myself is all." Huh, we're remarkably similar in that regard. Granted, I know what I'd do with that noble title, but otherwise the point stands.

"And if you don't mind me asking, you're pretty strong in the Force, how is it that the Order never picked you up?" I have a strong idea, but it'd be nice to hear her say it, because then I can interrogate her for all the interesting information I want! Amara smiles and points from me to Tomas.

"Because, like the both of you, I've trained as a Matukai." I resist the urge to jump up and shout my triumph, and despite what Tomas might say I only squee'd a little bit. This is exactly what I'd hoped she'd say.

"So they did go to Alpheridies? When, how many? What's happened since they got there?" I have so many questions. I want to know how many have gone through the training, has it sparked an interest for the people there? Amara chuckles softly, apparently amused at my exuberance.

"About three years ago is when they first appeared. There were only four of them, they claimed that their teachings could make your connection to the Force stronger. They all burned brightly in the Force, so it was hard to not believe them. I was one of the first to take up their offer." She smiles wistfully, seemingly lost in memory.

"And? You've seen the benefit of the training, has it taken root on Alpheridies?" That's what I really wanted from the whole venture, to introduce the Matukai teachings to the Miraluka people.

"Yes and no, once it became obvious that what they taught worked, more and more people have gone for training. There are waiting lists, owing to a lack of qualified instructors, but the Luka Sene have moved to incorporate Matukai teachings into their own skillset. With luck and time it will be more widely available." Good, good! It'd have been awesome if it had been spreading faster, but I'll take what I can get right now.

"And the Jedi? How are they taking the development?" I don't know if the Altisians are heading that way, but getting a read on how the Jedi Academy on Alpheridies reacted would give us a good idea of what to expect. Amara shrugged, okay good start I guess?

"They haven't done much, so far they've decided to wait and watch to see how things develop. They have been encouraging people who take the training to go to the Almas Academy for training but otherwise haven't done much." Huh, I guess that's to be expected. The Jedi there are mostly Miraluka. They'd be more familiar and comfortable with letting other Miraluka run around like that.

"I imagine the Luka Sene have taken in most of them?" I never really did take to the Luka Sene teachings, at least as not as much as Master Tavik did. Amara nods and looks up as the holonet projector comes to life. Oh, looks like the fight's about to start…. I don't care.

"Yes, most of the Sene have taken the training and are working to pass on the teachings. The Council is debating whether to encourage the training or remain neutral." That's politics, though I think they're missing a lucrative opportunity to rent out Sene Seekers to ROSF warships; their shield sense would be incredibly useful.

Also, Force-strong Miraluka commandos, imagine the awesome potential. I know I can, and it's glorious. Something to think about later.

"May I ask though, what are you doing here sister? This is quite the odd place for you to be. Especially with the bounty placed on you." A fair question, I'm a bit reckless for starters, but I'll never admit that out loud.

"The challenge mostly, same reason you're here. I really don't care about the title, and besides who'd expect to look for me here?" Not a complete lie, nor a complete truth, just a nice middle ground I think.

"Fair enough sister, I can appreciate that. And your friend here? Another Jedi?" I smile and shake my head as Tomas leans back in his seat, the attention now on him.

"Ah, I'm a Matukai like you, miss Vosh. Viera's a friend, and someone I trained with on Karvoss II. When I heard about the bounty I made my way here to help." He rubs the back of his neck a little awkwardly, and I smile, how adorable.

"Oh, that's awfully nice of you, just dropping what you were doing to help a friend in need. Very admirable." I watch with growing amusement as they go back and forth, leaving me to observe. Do they offer alcohol here? Probably not, don't want your competitors getting drunk before a fight.

"The Wan-Shen's a good weapon but it does have it's limitations in tight spaces." I tune back into the conversation to note that I have completely lost what's going on. I don't mind too much and draw into the Force to meditate.

"Hand to hand lacks staying power though-"

"With the strength enhancing techniques you can get around it and the mobility it offers-"

I lean back in my seat, letting my focus drift away as my breathing evens out, and I fall into a meditative trance. It's calming, and lets me relax. I miss the Temple. After this whole thing ends I really need to go back to the Room of a Thousand Fountains.

The Force swirls comfortably around me, like sunlight it warms my skin and fills me with energy. I sigh in contentment as the Force continues to envelop me.

Then everything goes dark. A crushing presence, rage and hatred close in around me. I can't breathe, everything's so cold, I can't!

There's a hand on my shoulder, shaking me quickly, and I snap back to the world around me, looking around in a brief panic. What's going on, am I safe? Are we under attack? Tomas and Amara are gone. There's a woman standing over me, and I focus on her...who? Oh, Thalassia Elegin.

"You alright Sentinel?" She says slowly, looking at me up and down, any awkwardness over my name subsumed by general concern. I shake my head and expand my focus, where's Tomas? Ah, it's his fight right now, how long was I meditating?

"Ah, just a dream. I'm fine miss, your concern is appreciated though." She shifts awkwardly in place, is she not used to offering comfort or just awkward around someone she doesn't know? I'm not sure, and it doesn't matter I suppose.

I stand up and stretch to get my muscles moving, anything to shake off that feeling. What was that? Whatever it is, I have a feeling it'll come to me later, worry about the now.

"If you're sure?" There's an awkwardness in the air now, ah great, how to deal with this? Jang would just breeze past it and win everyone over with sheer force of personality, but I'm not Jang.

"Why the mask?" I shrug. I really don't have a good answer for that other than secrecy.

"Oh, what can I say, I like to be dramatic. That, or my face is so hideously scarred I'm doing you all a favor by hiding my face." She rolls her eyes, and I whistle innocently.

"Fine, keep your secrets, but be aware that Meridan seems to be keen on unmasking you in the arena. Watch out for him." I would roll my eyes if I had them; I'm not too worried about Meridan. I'm worried about Tomas, Amara, and possibly Thalassia. I don't know yet.

"I have a feeling I'll only be in danger if he's as skilled at fighting as he is at talking." She laughs at that, and I share a smile that she can't see. This is nice I guess.

"Would the Sentinel and Torin Qualto please make their way to the arena for their battle." I look up at the intercom and shrug, flexing my hands slowly as my opponent gives me a nod and heads out the door. Thalassia looks me up and down for a moment before nodding.

"Best of luck I guess, if you win you win… if you do then you'll fight Meridan in the next round." Oooh, that's good to know, I'mma kick his ass. He thinks he can unmask me?

"Yeah, same to you, let this be a fair and honorable competition." I head for the door, armed and ready. Here goes, my first match of the tournament. I feel a little anxious, but surprisingly excited. Here goes nothing.


	70. Interlude XXII

Caltina 36BBY

Bruck Chun yawned as he stumbled his way out of the cabin he shared with Tomas, who was predictably already up before the sun. Bruck thought it was insane, up at sunrise each day. It was even more insane that the man never once seemed tired, same with Viera.

He knew it was from their Matukai training, but still it never stopped surprising him even as Viera had begun adding their meditative practices to their training. He reached into the pocket of his shirt and pulled out his datapad.

He gave it a toss and reached out for it in the Force, grabbing hold of it and watching it slowly wobble before steadying. With a simple movement it began to slowly move towards his outstretched hand.

Was it just him or was this getting faster? He supposed he hadn't forgotten everything from his time in the Temple, and it was coming back quickly enough. He'd tried to practice in the years since, but he'd been too bitter, and his own guilt too raw to keep at it for long. What right did he have to continue learning the ways of the Force after what he did?

The Disciples had helped,Twilight most of all. He remembered stumbling through the streets of Dyspeth's capital, rain pouring down in waves and soaking him to the bone. He had next to no money and just the clothes on his back, but he'd been driven by the thought that somewhere on this planet was his redemption.

Then a kindly old Bothan woman had stopped him. Twilight had felt his arrival on Dyspeth and come to find him. She listened when he told her his story, and much to his surprise she had agreed to train him. Her generosity had been a shock, but a welcome one. He was getting used to the generosity of women lately.

That Viera had offered to not only teach him the Matukai techniques, but continue his Jedi training? The thought of it was… he didn't know how to describe it, exhilarating didn't seem to cover it. She'd tossed him her lightsaber, the one she'd used against him in the Temple almost ten years ago, and it was remarkable how much he still remembered.

He passed by the cargo hold and peaked in at the sound of noise; he could hear words being said. He looked in at Aladaa sitting cross-legged on the floor, eyes glued onto the datapad in front of her, mechanic's tools and other equipment scattered around her. By her side the R2 unit she'd purchased beeped slowly.

"Hush, I won't do anything too drastic… yet," she said, patting the domed head softly. The droid whistled something that sounded sarcastic, and he smiled at her scowl. She must have seen him, because she turned to him and waved.

"Morning Bruck, Viera's in the galley." He figured as much, but it was good to have the confirmation.

"Thanks kid, what're you up to? You're not giving the droid too much of a hard time are you." He noted the scattered datasticks and open box with the label 'Droid modifications for beginners'. She frowned and stuck her tongue out at him.

"His name is Claptrap, and we're fine. Shalla's promised to look over any changes to make sure they're right." He chuckled softly and raised his hands in surrender.

"So, you decided to choose Viera's name for him?" They'd all tossed out suggestions, but the girl had liked Viera's the best. He wasn't sure why. What kind of name was Claptrap?

"Yeah, it's unique and sounds cool. I'm gonna give him a shock baton someday, it'll suit him I think." He shivered at the thought; the girl was terrifying enough when she got on them about expenses.

She hadn't even been with them a month, and she'd already taken over the ship accounts, having neatly ordered the cargo, and assumed the role of quartermaster. Force save you if she thought you weren't getting the best deals on supplies.

"Ah well, be safe, Viera'd be distraught if you hurt yourself working on Claptrap." She waved off his concern, and he shrugged, turning to walk to the galley.

Viera, Tomas, and Ehruss were already there when he stepped inside, and he gave each of them a greeting in turn. Viera and Tomas had already eaten and were getting ready to head out for the arena.

"Best of luck, kick ass and all that." He said as they geared up. Viera nodded, already donning the silly mask she'd taken to disguise herself.

"Fight well Grashkowh, earn many points." Ehruss bowed her head, and Viera chuckled softly, giving them a wave.

"I'll do my best guys, thanks." Then she turned to look in the direction of the cargo hold.

"Aladaa! I need to see you for a moment." There was a muted response from the girl before she joined them in the galley.

"Yes, Viera? What is it?" Viera looked down at the young girl and reached into her tunic before pulling out one of her lightsabers, the one with the Krayt Dragon Pearl. She knelt and offered it to Aladaa.

"The others have some dangerous work to do, so I need you to hold onto this when you come to the tournament. Just in case I end up needing it." Aladaa took the lightsaber carefully, staring down at the weapon in clear awe. She looked back up at Viera, who was probably smiling behind that silly mask. Then she grinned, clearly happy with the display.

"I won't let you down, Viera!" she cried, buzzing with excitement. Viera gave her a quick pat on the head before reaching down to tug at her shirt.

"You're shirts bunched up here kid, and I know you haven't had breakfast yet. Go eat before you get back to tinkering, you need to take care of yourself." Even that, admittedly minor, reprimand didn't dim the girl's spirits as she nodded and placed the lightsaber in one of the pockets of her tunic. Viera stepped back and waved as she headed down the ramp.

"May the Force be with you all!" He waved back as she disappeared down the ramp.

"Best of luck with Synyc, may the Force be with you all." Tomas bowed and turned to head down the corridor after Viera. Bruck didn't really know the man that well, but still he figured it was only fair.

"May the Force be with the both of you as well." Then he went to grab some food for himself, Aladaa, and something for Shalla. He knew she hadn't eaten yet. Ehruss went back to cleaning the blaster rifle by her seat as he cooked. Aladaa took a seat by Ehruss and for the next few minutes the galley was mostly silent.

"So, can you actually smuggle that thing into the city?" She looked at him, and he resisted the urge to fidget under her piercing gaze.

"I can disassemble it for concealment, yes." Okay, that was good. He nodded and sat down to eat, setting Shalla's plate on the table for her, and handing Aladaa her plate.

"Good, do that then, the streets will be pretty empty while the fights are going on, but we'll have to be careful coming back." Ehruss nodded, hissing softly as Shalla entered the galley. She took a seat at the table and looked at her plate.

"Thank you," she said. It sounded strange coming from her. Bruck was pretty sure she'd never thanked them for anything before.

Not that she'd been rude or ungrateful, just focused on the mission. It was a pleasant feeling he supposed; she was finally acclimating to this crazy ship. Aladaa reached for the thin strips of nerf meat he'd made for her, and she frowned when he gave her a meaningful look and nudged her utensils.

"Utensils are there for a reason, and make sure you keep that lightsaber hidden in the stadium. The last thing you need is someone thinking you're some Jedi padawan." She still frowned at him and looked like she might argue.

"What would Viera say?" That got her attention, and she sighed exaggeratedly, but accepted the argument. He turned to Shalla, who'd mostly finished eating.

"We need to go over a plan of attack for Synyc. We know where he's going, so while he's at the fight we can go set up our ambush at his place." Finding Synyc hadn't been that hard really. There weren't many Gran in the stadium, and even fewer in the luxury box with what looked like an entire entourage around him.

Following them had been even easier with the Force and his cloaking. Synyc and his entourage were set up in a compound nearing what Dryson called the seedier parts of town. Now it was time to plan the attack. Shalla looked up from her plate and frowned in concentration.

"It'll have to be quick if we don't want security jumping down our throats. Do you think you could slip into the compound unnoticed?" He wanted to scoff, could he infiltrate the mansion? They didn't have any Force sensitives to detect him; he could get in easily.

"Yeah, you think that you and Ehruss could attack from outside and I'll deal with the guards inside." The guards inside wouldn't be expecting the attack from inside, and the guards on the outside would be cut off from any reinforcements.

"Of course, some explosives wouldn't be amiss though," Shalla said, and Bruck immediately thought of the crates of grenades in the cargo hold.

"That's doable, there are grenades in the cargo hold. You two get yourselves prepped, and I'll go recon the area." He stood up and made the trek back towards his bunk.

Inside he grabbed his coat alongside his blaster and dagger. The dagger fit easily into the slot in his belt he'd made for it. The blaster went on the inside of the coat and his comlink around his ear. Everything acquired he made his way to the cargo hold and grabbed a quick selection of grenades.

That done he was ready to go and turned to make his way to the exit ramp. As he walked, he slowed as he approached Viera's room. There was something... the Force, his instincts, or both poking at him.

Okay, calm, focus. Breathe in, listen to the Force, let it flow through you. Breathe, that was the key. Both the instructors and Viera had been very clear that steady breathing was good for meditation or focusing on the Force.

It was different from what the Disciples did. It took a little more time; he was out of practice. But the Force was trying to tell him something. He opened the floodgates and let it wash over him.

His hands were keying the door controls to her room before he was really cognizant of it, too late to back out now though. He stepped inside and immediately sighed, closing his eyes for just a moment.

Okay, he really needed to talk to her about leaving her clothes lying about. But that would mean admitting he'd gone into her room, decisions, decisions. Still he forced his gaze away from the what it wanted to linger on and to the small drawer beside the bunk.

He opened it and lifted out the lightsaber inside, Viera's original one, not the one she'd given to Aladaa, that lightsaber only responded to her, but Bruck had used this one before.

He still remembered enough of how to use it, and if the Force was directing him to it, then there was a reason for it. He pocketed the lightsaber and left the room before he saw anything too dangerous.

If anyone asked, the lightsaber was left out on the floor as a sign from the Force. He was not going to admit he entered Viera's room… nor seen anything particularly interesting, for any amount of money or threats.

He left the ship and immediately let the Force wash over him. Light and shadow bent to his will, and then he was cloaked. Invisible to anyone without sufficient Force perception to notice him. It was comforting in a way, to be able to move through a crowd and not be seen. Already throngs of people were heading for the stadium, but he made his way through them, following the path from before.

Traveling invisibly through a crowd was always an interesting experience. He could observe without being observed in turn, and it was remarkable the subtle ways in which people acted when they thought themselves unobserved.

He had plenty of time to think, walking through the streets. This was not what he'd expected to be doing when he wandered back into the wider galaxy. He expected even less to be traveling with the same woman he'd tried to kill years earlier.

Even stranger was that she hadn't held his previous actions against him. She'd just believed him and moved on as if nothing had happened. It was as if his previous transgressions had been completely overlooked; no not overlooked, they'd been completely forgotten. That still troubled him because he didn't understand it.

'Oh hi, I know that I tried to kill you years ago, but I swear there's a force-sensitive assassin out to cause trouble. Oh, you'll help right off the bat? Oh, you want to give me Jedi training as well? Oh well that's just lovely.'

He was basically a padawan. He wasn't sure what to make of that thought considering his teacher was the same age as him. Not half-bad as a teacher either, though she was terrible at following the rules of the Order from what he could see.

Still, he liked her. She was determined to do what was right and practical enough to not run in lightsaber swinging, at least not immediately. Wasn't half bad to look at either if he was being honest with himself, but that was complicated, and he didn't want to really think about it too much.

The estate Synyc had set himself up in was moderately large, two floors with a small wall around the perimeter. He could see three guards on patrol outside, an unknown number inside. It didn't seem like much, but he expected that most of the guards were with the man in question at the arena.

'Okay, remember what she taught you.' He leaped upwards, allowing the Force to extend his jump and take him over the wall. He landed in the courtyard and made his way to the front door. They couldn't see him so he didn't see a reason to be too subtle about it.

The door was unlocked. No one really paid attention when the door opened, and he slipped inside. The inside of the mansion was a garish affair in his mind. The walls were painted a light blue, decorated with canvas paintings and holo-art that he didn't really understand.

There were a number of interior guards in a large room crowded around the holonet display and watching the tournament. He paused just long enough to confirm that Viera was okay and kicking ass. He silently cheered her on and continued on his way upstairs.

The upstairs was just as overdone as the downstairs in his mind. The master bedroom was ornate and opulent enough to be offensive to the eye. There was a locked datapad that he had no confidence in cracking. He placed the datapad back on the table and stepped out into the hall again.

He nearly bumped directly into the patrolling war droid as he stepped out. It was only a near thing that prevented his cover from being blown right then and there. His heart was hammering in his chest as his hands gripped Viera's lightsaber.

So, this was one of those special war droids that Shalla and her group were after? He'd recognized it from the wreckage on Bator Bai. The droid looked around, processors whirring as it went along its assigned patrol route. It did not seem to see him standing right in front of it.

It did not look as intimidating as he knew it actually was, and he pushed down the temptation to just destroy it now. If any silent alarms got set off, Synyc would be alerted too early and go into hiding. And then what would they do?

No, he had to wait. He slipped by the droid and continued his survey of the mansion. There was only the one war droid for which he was grateful. If say a whole contingent had been here, then things would be much more difficult for just the three of them.

With that done he found a quiet, out of the way place and settled in to wait. Shalla and Ehruss would head by later in the early evening when the fights were over and everyone had returned. They'd give him the signal when they were in position.

Until then he found a nook inside one of the larger storage closets and settled in to meditate. He had hours to kill, and Viera did say the best thing he could do at the moment was continuous practice using the Force.

What better time?

When he came back to himself, hours later it was to the sound of voices from outside. He made sure his camouflage was still active and slipped out into the upper hallway. It seemed like the sound was coming from the vestibule, and he made his way towards it.

He left the main hallway to the stairs, and sure enough, on the first floor vestibule a number of people had gathered, just entering from the outside. He could see three Devaronians, a Bith, two Zabraks, a Twi'lek of all people, a number of Humans, and sure enough, a Gran.

"What a joke of a display, so far only one of the predicted victors is still in the tournament. If Thalassia loses next round it will be a complete upset to expectations." The Gran, Synyc, was saying to one of his human comrades.

"Well, Petro failed, but maybe she'll knock out that Sentinel bitch. If she can't then no one can and we're better off betting on her." So Viera won huh, well that's good to know. There was some muttered agreement as well as some things Bruck couldn't make out. But they're here now, and with luck Ehruss and Shalla would be soon behind them.

He retreated back down the hallway to wait for their signal. A comlink going off right now would just give the game away. He would wait further down the hall.

It was another thirty minutes before he got any signal from Ehruss and Shalla. In that time the group had scattered across the mansion, which was just a bit disappointing. He'd have liked to have been able to toss a flashbang or adhesive into that whole group and go from there.

Still it was good to hear from them.

"Are you ready then?" he whispered into the comlink, looking around to make sure no one was nearby.

"I'm in position across the street, Ehruss has an overwatch position on the outer perimeter guard. How about you? You got a position on our target?" He nodded, though she couldn't see him.

"Synyc's on the second floor in the master bedroom. He's got one of those war droids guarding him, but otherwise I wouldn't imagine more than twenty to twenty-five guards. We've got this, I think." He looked down at the handful of grenades on his belt. He had a plan, whether it was a good plan or not remained to be seen.

"Why does that not fill me with confidence?" He rolled his eyes.

"You have a better plan, Shalla? I'm in perfect position to cause some chaos, and the two of you can come from outside. " He waited while she thought it over. He could hear her sigh.

"Fine, we'll wait for your signal. May the Force be with you, Bruck." He smiled and reached down for the lightsaber on his belt.

"Alright, thanks Shalla. This'll work out, I promise." That done he started walking to the master bedroom. He had Viera's lightsaber in one hand and an adhesive grenade in the other. Synyc was in the master bedroom. The war droid was standing guard outside, and he could see the Twi'lek at the end of the hall.

She didn't look like the entertainment, but he couldn't see any obvious weapons on her. That concerned him, but maybe she was just unarmed right now. Who knows.

It was now or never. Stealth had served him up until now, but there was no way they'd be able to smuggle Synyc out of the mansion undetected, and he wouldn't be intimidated while he had guards around. So, shock and awe it was.

The door opened at his touch. Synyc looked up, confusion clearly visible on his face at the lack of anyone there. He dropped his cloaking just as he tossed the adhesive grenade inside. A press of a button and the lightsaber activated with a snap-hiss.

The emerald blade arced out, cutting the war droid in two. It was good to have a lightsaber in hand again. It'd been so long since he had used one. The droid sparked and sputtered to nothing almost immediately. That was too easy, in his experience that was a bad sign.

Okay, and now for the Twi'lek? He turned just in time to see her pull two guard-shoto's from her back; he hadn't seen those before. The snap-hiss of them activating was a little terrifying. Why did she have those, and where did she get them?

Could she use them? He didn't get long to think about that before she was on him, swinging both weapons with deadly efficiency. He blocked, green clashing with purple as they dueled in the open hallway.

There was shouting, voices raised indistinctly in the background. He could just barely hear the sound of blasterfire over the sound of their lightsabers clashing. Bruck lashed out, bringing his blade downwards towards her head and then cutting left to strike at her side.

Each time she blocked with the ease of a trained fighter. Just what he needed, some kind of bodyguard then? Regardless she was doing a lot more against him than he against her.

Their weapons clashed again, just before she ducked and went low for his feet. He leapt over her and lashed downwards as he did. Her other weapon came up to deflect his, and she'd turned on him by the time he landed.

He couldn't duel her, not for long at least. He wasn't that far along in his training, and he was well aware of his deficiencies in close combat. He disengaged and reached for the blaster pistol in his pocket.

He fired twice at her, and she darted past, closing the distance and lashing out at his chest. Bruck pulled the blaster back to keep it from danger and deflected what he could. He tried to bring his lightsaber around to her only to be kicked for his trouble.

He stumbled back and tried for space, only for her to rush him, kicking out at him once more and sending him stumbling back.

"Worthless, is this the best the Jedi can send?" She thought he was a Jedi, well the lightsaber was a pretty clear indicator. He didn't feel like correcting her though.

"I live to disappoint I guess." Options, options, he needed options. He had no grenades that were useful right now. A flashbang would blind him as well, and she was too close for anything else.

The Force warned him just in time to raise Viera's lightsaber into the crossguard of her shoto's, a good thing too because they'd have beheaded him otherwise. He finally managed to lash out and kick her away. He needed space.

Space she wasn't likely to give him. She'd assumed, correctly, that she was more skilled than he was. So even as he backed away she mirrored him. He really hoped Shalla and Ehruss were having a better time than he was.

He could slip away into his camouflage again, but if she was smart she'd rush in and swing until he was forced to reveal himself. He needed to deal with her now, or she might run off to hamper Shalla and Ehruss.

The Force screamed out a warning, a chilling sensation all over his body, as she darted in, nigh on tackling him and forcing him to the ground. The lightsaber and blaster were forced from his hands. He gripped her wrists, doing everything he could to keep her from killing him with her lightsabers.

Still, she was a lot stronger than she looked, and he strained against her weight. Her head lunged forward, and he shifted his arm to block her headbutt. The impact of skull on arm hurt, but not as much as it had probably hurt her. She growled something before biting down on his arm, and he cried out from the pain.

"Oww, let go you bitch!" He tried to bring his knee up into her gut, but she held firm and he didn't have good leverage anyways. He wanted to grab at her lekku, but if he let go of her arms she'd kill him immediately.

And there was the dilemma as they both wrestled for control and the chance to kill the other. Bruck winced at the sensation of tearing flesh; she'd definitely pierced his arm now. Force he was going to have to seriously disinfect it later.

"You know, I'm really tired of women kicking my ass." Viera, Twilight, that assassin chick, and now this crazy bodyguard lady. Why was it his luck to constantly get into fights with woman far more skilled than he was?

His opponent didn't say anything to that, being too busy biting his arm like it was particularly delicious cake. He needed to do something quickly.

'I have an idea, but boy is it going to hurt.' He breathed in to steady himself and tightened his grip on her arms, marshalling all his strength and whatever the Force could give him to force them apart.

He felt the tearing sensation as he did, skin torn apart before he finally ripped his arm from her jaws. The pain was excruciating, but he pushed past it and surged forward to headbutt her as hard as he could.

It wasn't a great blow, but as she reared back in pain she gave him some much needed space. He lifted his knee to push her off of him and then kicked out hard enough to send her stumbling back.

The blaster was closer and a quick application of the Force called it to his hand. He lined up the shot even as she charged him, and fired. At this close range he had a better opportunity. The bolt connected with her chest, and her charge faltered.

He fired again.

Another shot to the chest, and then another as she slumped from the pain. Finally, when she was down on the ground he put a blasterbolt into her head. He gave it a few seconds and then sighed in relief. He summoned the lightsaber to his hand, reigniting the green blade and walking further down the hallway.

He paused long enough to make sure that Synyc was still caught in the adhesive. He looked in, saw the Gran still caught and cursing up a storm and moved on. He could still hear blasterfire in the distance.

The lightsaber gave a comforting thrum as he ran down the hall and into the entryway. A dozen Black Sun clustered around what limited cover they could find, exchanging blasterfire with unseen enemies, Shalla and Ehruss he presumed.

One of them must have heard the sound of the lightsaber because they turned and shouted. That got the attention of at least a few of them, and soon enough blasterfire was heading straight for him.

He raised the lightsaber to deflect, old memories of the Temple coming to the forefront as he leapt over the railing and down to the lower floor. He advanced slowly, doing his best to deflect every shot he could.

He was no expert Jedi who could advance quickly deflecting blasterfire as easily as breathing. He had to focus, take his time and be measured. Ehruss and Shalla were distracting the majority of them, but not for long.

Without their assistance, he knew he'd fall here. The Black Sun before him backed up as much as they could but in the small room there were only so many places they could go without putting themselves in prime position to be sniped from outside.

Still he advanced, deflected shots impacting the walls around them, one luckily reflecting back onto the shooter. As he entered range he lashed out with his blade, cutting down one and then another.

The other criminals had taken notice of him now and turned to fire, but Shalla and Ehruss had moved up and taken a superior firing position. Now their fire was coming in fast and quick, battering away at the exposed Black Sun members.

Bruck smiled through it all. He felt calm. He felt happy, like he was doing something worthwhile with his life and time. Bringing down a Black Sun Vigo wouldn't destroy Black Sun, but it would hurt them and restrict their operations in Senex.

When it was finally over, Ehruss and Shalla moved inside none the worse for the wear. He nodded to each of them and deactivated the lightsaber, returning it to his belt.

"Synyc's upstairs, I trapped him in an adhesive grenade," he said, and Shalla nodded.

"Good, we'll need to interrogate him quickly." Together they moved upstairs. It was time to have a little chat with Synyc.


	71. Knight Errant: Chapter Twenty

Caltinia 36BBY

The loading ramp of the Horizon lowers as the three of us wait silently at the bottom. Tomas and I both won our bouts to advance further into the tournament. I look at him, and he offers a quick smile in return, his aura burning brightly with his pleasure at our success.

Aladaa next to us is practically bouncing with her excitement. The first ten minutes after joining us she gushed about the matches. It was a little flattering really, was I ever like that as a kid back in my original world? I couldn't remember, probably, but I won't deny feeling proud at being considered 'the coolest'.

After that we stopped to grab some food for the lot of us before heading back to the ship. Bruck sent me a message saying they'd completed their mission and were back at the ship. I guess we'll find out whether or not they got anything important.

"You're going into the semifinals! This is so cool!" I nod absentmindedly as the ramp finally lowers, and we make our way into the ship. I am going to the semifinals, against Thalassia Elegin.

Tomas is going to be going up against Amara, so if we both win, then one of us is at least guaranteed the useful prize from succeeding. It should prove to be interesting either way. Thalassia's a pretty good swordswoman from what I've seen, so that should be even more of a challenge.

"Viera! We're in the galley!" I hear Bruck's voice from further inside. I can see him with Shalla and Ehruss by the galley table. I turn to Aladaa and pat her on the shoulder.

"Okay, go have fun, but make sure to head off to bed in an hour. It's late and we've an early start tomorrow." She pouts but gives in and smiles at a pat on the head.

"Go, if you're good I'll tell you a story about the time I rescued a beautiful princess from mercenaries." She smiles and runs off down the corridor,

"You're pretty good with her." Tomas says idly, and I shrug. I mean, I guess, but it's not that hard in my opinion.

"She's a kid, her life has been hard and she's very mature for her age. But she is still a child and it shows, you just have to know how to speak to her." She doesn't need to have all her decisions made for her; it's just a matter of making sure she doesn't forget to eat and goes to bed at a decent time.

Though, thinking about it some more, picking up a protocol droid to serve translation when needed and instruct her in things she needs to know could be useful. With how much money we're making and her skill at business, she doesn't necessarily need it. But it would still be good to have the qualifications.

"Well, either way, it's a good thing that she has someone looking after her." I nod absently as we walk into the galley. Bruck's leaning back against the chair, his left arm covered in bandages. Ehruss and Shalla are both sitting off to one side. Shalla's got a datapad in her hand and waves to me as I enter.

"So, what've you got for me?" Bruck sits up and reaches down to the floor revealing… guard-shoto's? Where the hell did he get those?

"I got some lightsabers, this guy had a bodyguard who used them. She wasn't Force sensitive, which is the oddest part." And she could use those without killing herself? That is odd, and a little impressive really.

"Okay, so you've got something to use for our spars, good to know. Did you find out where Darnada is?" He sets the shoto's down and sighs, running a hand through his hair.

"We did, there's just a slight problem." I'd raise an eyebrow if I wasn't wearing a blindfold. Shalla decides to cut to the chase.

"He's on Yetoom Na Uun. A shadowport on the edge of the Senex Sector." Ohhh, a shadowport, the most dangerous place I could go outside Nar Shaddaa itself. Every bounty hunter in the galaxy who's looking for me here is bound to stop there at some point.

"Okay then, have you got in contact with Master Diath and your compatriots? We've got a couple more days of the tournament left, by the time it's over he could assemble a strike team to head there and grab him." They all look at each other then to me. Then Shalla sighs loudly and pulls a handful of credits from her pocket, handing them to Bruck. He grins, and I realize why.

"You bet I wouldn't go for it didn't you." Bruck laughs, and Shalla scowls over at him. Ah well, I mean, we know where he's going to be, so why wouldn't we? I'm sure if we organize a strike team and get in and out quickly, then we could have it done in a reasonable timeframe without any difficulties.

"Excuse me for thinking you wouldn't immediately be okay with walking into the literal viper's nest of bounty hunters, slavers, and other criminals. Especially when you have a twenty-million credit bounty." I shrug; she'd have a fair point if not for one thing.

"I'm a Jedi, this is part of my job, not like I'm going to shirk it cause it's suddenly more dangerous than before." Honestly how much worse can this be than Troiken, or Dxun, or Terminus… or Javin and Er'Kit? I'll have to find a place to drop Aladaa off for the meantime, but otherwise its no problem.

Oh, I could take her to Onderon; Sata is studying economics and business. It's the perfect place for her to hang out while we go after Darnada. I'm sure there's some interesting things she could learn. Though, those two together, I'm a little scared what they might get into.

"Exactly, and besides how else are we going to draw out a Vigo? They don't go in person, he won't be expecting us to come to him." Bruck said, nodding in approval. Shalla shrugged but smiled anyways.

"We're right behind you Viera, my strength is yours for the coming battle." I gave Tomas a brief nod and sat down at the galley.

"It shall be a grand hunt, with fine, dangerous prey." Ehruss nods her approval, which is about as good a guarantee as any that we're doing this.

"Alright, now let's go over what we know and prepare a battle plan." Master Diath can get the strike team ready, and we'll head for the shadowport the minute the tournament is over.

We spend the next hour discussing strategies before breaking. Shalla heads off to send the message to Master Diath, and I head off make sure Aladaa is heading to sleep.

The next morning, Tomas and I make our way towards the stadium for the semi-finals. The streets are thankfully void of people as we make our way down the open path. There's a little delay between the two matches today to give the audience plenty of time to prepare in between matches. Not to mention the commentary, I've loved the commentary so far.

I am apparently the wildcard, but expectation is that Thalassia will beat me. She seems to be a local favorite. No surprise there seeing as she's from House Elegin. They control the planet… and Nantama now that I think about it.

"Ready for your fight, Tomas?" I ask, more to pass the time than anything else. As much fun as the fighting itself is, all the fluff in between is kinda boring. I'm not really interested or invested in anything beyond the fight.

Maybe it's the whole Black Sun thing, or the bounty. I suppose it doesn't matter too much anyways. Either I lose here and go prepare for the raid, or I win and spend another day here before preparing for the raid.

Tomas nods, gaze bright and aware as he walks ahead of me. In contrast to myself, Tomas is having a good deal of fun with this tournament and everything around it.

"I believe so, my opponent is another Matukai so I expect the battle to be very enlightening as to where my skills stand. Win or lose, I will have gained much from this battle." Ah, that is a fair point; conflict is growth.

"True, from what I've seen, Thalassia is very skilled herself, without the Force she'll be a difficult opponent." Tomas nods silently as we continue on our way to the stadium and in short order head for the competitor's room. It's just the two of us, Thalassia, and Amara now. The other competitors having not been allowed back in after their losses.

I still smile occasionally at the memory of knocking Meridan senseless. Thalassia looks up as we enter, and Amara waves, having no doubt seen us coming from some distance away.

"You ready for our match? A fair warning, when I win, I'm going to unmask you." I smile, though she can't see it, and shake my head theatrically.

"I feel so harassed, everyone wants to get under my mask. I'll tell you I don't take it off till after the first date." She laughs softly, and I walk over to the table. I take a seat. Tomas sits beside me while Amara and Thalassia take seats opposite us.

"Amara and Tomas are up first, so we'll be lucky enough to know who we're going to face in the final round." I nod at Thalassia's words and lean back in my seat. If I look up and focus outwards I can see the thousands of people filing into the stadium.

"So, I'll be fighting either Tomas or Amara after I beat you?" I say, and she smiles good-naturedly. I feel a little guilty that I have a technical advantage, but I mean they let Amara in, knowing she's Force sensitive.

"I look forward to our fight, Tomas. I am glad to fight such a skilled Echani warrior as yourself." Tomas fidgets at the compliment, and I stifle the words I want to say.

"I... likewise Amara, we'll both do our best I'm sure." He says slowly, and I share a fist bump with Thalassia at his expense. Tomas gives me a look, and I shrug good-naturedly. He had it coming.

"Will Tomas Marn and Amara Vosh please proceed to the arena for their match." Tomas stands up from the table and stretches. I hold out my hand, and he clasps it firmly before heading off. Amara walks around the table and does the same. I'd like it if Tomas won, but I've no problem with Amara winning either.

Go Miraluka pride!

They both head off, leaving me alone with Thalassia in the waiting room. The holonet projector at the other end of the room lights up, showing the arena where they'll be fighting. There's a long silence as both of us just relax and wait. Is it nerves or worry that gnaws at me? I get the feeling that things are going to be hectic today.

"So, Sentinel, will you remove that mask if you win this whole tournament?" I turn to Thalassia and shake my head.

"Probably not, I mean, who doesn't love a good mystery? Besides, I'm not really in this for the rank or glory so much as the fun." A lie, I am after the rank, but I don't really care about the significance of the ennobling. I'm more interested in the information I'll be able to use.

"What about you, Thalassia Elegin? You're already a member of Caltinia's ruling house, and a capable duelist at that. It wouldn't be hard to find some influential post or position worth your talent and nobility. Aside from prestige, what's your stake in this?" She looks at me and sighs, looking up at the ceiling.

"Mostly for my brother, Theron. He and I are twins, but I got the brawn and he got the brains. He always wanted to fight and win in the Great Tournament, but he's sickly by nature and never could learn how to duel properly. I decided, I'd win this for him if nothing else." I nod slowly, way to make me feel bad about this. If I beat her, then I'm basically ending that dream.

"A noble goal, I'm sure your brother is proud of your accomplishments." She nods slowly, but I can see the inner turmoil regarding… something. I can't place it, but I think there's more there she isn't talking about. Not that it's my place to get involved.

"Look, it's starting." I turn, and sure enough, both Tomas and Amara are in the arena standing opposite each other. I can hear the announcer hamming it up and introducing each competitor. There's a fair bit of cheering for each competitor. Amara's exotic nature seems to have become an appealing factor, and Tomas has a number of female fans.

Both of us descend into silence as the match begins. Both of them are Matukai and as such are capable of hitting each other extremely hard for a long time. The fight begins with both of them slamming into each other, exchanging hard, fast blows.

With both of them having the same advantages they don't seem to be interested in limiting themselves. The ring of steel on steel carries clearly over the projector and does a good job of conveying just how hard they're hitting each other.

Despite that, Tomas seems to favor a much more elegant style than Amara; each blow flows from one to the other without any delay or distraction. Amara on the other hand seems to go for a rougher, more brutal style, focusing on powerful blows that overwhelm the defenses. Granted, they both seem pretty evenly matched so far.

"I don't get how they have the stamina to go at each other like that." Thalassia says quietly, and I pretend to nod in agreement. Yeah anyone else would exhaust themselves quickly doing that. But with their Matukai training, they could do that for almost a full day and probably never get tired.

It's a little more interesting to watch. Strength and speed don't mean as much here so it's all about skill and footwork. Who can gain enough of an upper hand to slip past the others guard.

In the end, its Tomas who carries the day. It's really quite captivating to watch him deftly step into an opening in her guard. Amara tries to compensate, but Tomas forcefully pushes past her defenses and strikes a firm blow to her shoulder.

The alarm blares as the referee calls the mark of contact. Amara lowers her sword and extends a hand to shake. Tomas obliges, and Amara laughs, leaning close to whisper something. I don't know what she said, but judging by the way he stills, I can guess the gist of it.

We've got some time before our match though, so I lay my head down as if to nap. I steady my breathing and slip into meditation. The Force flows through me with each breath as my senses expand to the world around me. It's fun sometimes to just listen to the currents of the world around you, the emotions and movements of nearby people is enlightening.

Time passes quickly enough during my meditations, and as people filter out of the stands and off to the concession stand then back I start to come back to myself. Thalassia places a hand on my shoulder and shakes lightly to 'wake' me. I go through the motions of pretending to wake up and look at her.

"The announcer is recommending people go back to their seats. It's time." She's already ready to go, and I nod slowly.

"Well, I can only imagine they'll be calling us soon then." I take a stand and begin stretching. I just need something to keep myself occupied at this point. The anxiety and tension are back, but so is the excitement. Win or lose, I'm gonna have some fun.

"Indeed, it's time to see who the finalists are going to be." I nod and walk over to the refreshment table for a quick drink. There's still nothing alcoholic, not even light alcohol. I'll take water I suppose. There's some kind of fruit juice, but I can't stand it.

"Will 'Sentinel' and Thalassia Elegin make their way to the arena please." Welp, that's my cue. I turn to Thalassia and wave her on.

"I'm going to have a quick drink, you go on ahead and I'll meet you there." She nods and walks out while I down the water. That was refreshing. I head for the door and walk out.

The corridor goes through a number of corners, so Thalassia is already out of sight by the time I step out. I stroll leisurely down the hall towards the arena, whistling a tune. If I win, I should probably send a message to Thalassia once my business in Senex is done. Apologize for the deception and whatnot.

"Excuse me, Sentinel!" I hear someone coming up behind me, human and well dressed at that. Ah well, I've got the time. I turn to face him, and he stops in front of me.

"Yes, how can I help you?" He smiles, and I find myself filled with doubt. I wonder what he wants.

"I'd like to congratulate you on your victory in the previous two rounds, you've won quite the acclaim in the tourney." I shrug at his praise; he has to have a point to this. Not that I don't enjoy the praise.

"Why thank you, but it isn't over yet. I aim to win the whole thing." His smile strains a little, and I resist a sigh. Here it comes, he wants me to throw the fight.

"Ah, of course. I come on behalf of certain interested parties regarding your fight with Ms. Thalassia. My employer has a high stake in the outcome of this tournament, and he has tasked me with making this offer." Okay, that was wordy, and he looks confident. Has he done this before?

"You want me to throw the fight?" I wonder how many other people he's asked to throw a fight. Why would I accept this and not take it to the tourney officials? He hm's noncommittally but doesn't deny it.

"I suppose, but you'll be well rewarded for the effort. A hefty sum and a prestigious position in the Caltinian armed service." A nice offer if you were assuming I was some no-name with no influence or reputation. Granted, considering the prize of this tournament is a legitimate title, who knows.

"I'm not interested." The man stumbles, but recovers nicely even as I keep walking, and he strides forward to catch up with me.

"I implore you to reconsider, if you do not we will be forced to take other options." I keep moving, but now it's a lot more tense. I don't even turn to face him.

"Not interested, take your threats elsewhere or get destroyed, your choice." He sighs and steps back, turning to speak into a comlink. Okay, so now I gotta watch out for one thing or another.

Did Thalassia make him do this? It doesn't seem to be her style, and it's not like she isn't already very skilled. I've seen her fight, and she has the potential to win the tournament on her own. And she probably would have, or at least made it to the finals, had Tomas and I not been here.

Thalassia's waiting for me when I get to the entrance, and the nervous stadium attendant sighs in relief at my arrival. She looks at me curiously.

"What kept you? They were getting worried about where you were." I shrug, not like I'm going to say anything about it now.

"I got lost in thought for a moment, my apologies." She takes the answer well enough, and I can't sense any duplicity. I suppose I'll find out soon enough.

"Alright then, let's go." I smile behind the mask and follow her out into the arena. The crowd roars at the sight of us, and I'm once again thankful for my Jedi discipline which lets me clamp down on any nervousness in front of a crowd. Thank you so much.

"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the final round of the semifinals! We have an exciting match for you today folks!" Both of us stop in the middle of the arena, and I look for my friends in the crowd.

Ah, there they are. How did Aladaa get one of the private boxes? More importantly, how much did that cost? Ehruss and Shalla seem interested but not very expressive, a far cry from Bruck and Aladaa. Bruck seems plenty excited, and Aladaa is on her feet, face pressed against the window of the private box. I can see her practically bouncing in place. Tomas is… heading for the box, okay good to know.

"For your final match, we have the hometown favorite, the indomitable, and tenacious, Thalassia Elegin!" The crowd roars even louder. Thalassia and I stand opposite each other, swords in hand.

"And her opponent is the lady of mystery, the masked warrior who has overcome all expectations. The vigilant and powerful, Sentinel!" The crowd roars again, but not nearly as loud as for her. I understand though, she's the local hero and the favorite.

"Fight well Sentinel, and prepare to be unmasked." Thalassia readies her weapon, slips into a stance and waits. I smile and do the same.

"Likewise, but I won't go down that easy." There's a moment of silence, and then a loud bell signals the match start.

Immediately she steps forward, swinging her sword right, towards my shoulder. I'm already raising to block. The clash of steel on steel fills my ears, and the dance has begun. She doesn't let up and disengages to strike again and again. I block, deflect, or avoid each, lashing out when the opportunity arises, but mostly I want to check something.

She isn't unskilled, nor is she weak. I can't imagine why she would be buying out her opponents to earn victory. It doesn't fit what I've seen from her character and her skill. I'll have to wait and see what happens if I gain the upper hand, whether or not she panics could tell me a lot.

The Force warns me of an opportunity; her left foot is extended too far. I could seriously hamper her by taking advantage of it.

No, no I'll fight as fairly as I can. I lash out, bringing my sword down at her upper shoulder and forcing her onto the backfoot. She plants her feet and slides to the right. My sword scrapes against hers, and I have to fight to keep her blade locked in place.

She frowns in concentration and makes to slide left before switching direction and breaking the lock. She comes at me again, thrusting her sword at my gut, and I step to the side rather than deflect it.

This is fun. She's no Ilena, but she has a natural talent for swordsmanship. If she had the Force, I'd dare say she'd probably be beating me right now. The Force whispers to me, and I expand my senses outwards. Okay, what's going on?

The Force screams danger, and I slip right just as something… impacts the ground next to me? There's a small plastic dart laying on the ground. Thalassia comes at me again, seems like she didn't notice it.

Is someone trying to shoot darts at me while I fight? I guess this is what that guy meant; they're trying to shoot me with darts. Wait, are those poisoned? I'm thinking they're poisoned. A simple dart would only annoy me and give the game away.

Then the dart begins to melt into a fine liquid. Okay, that would explain how they expect no one to notice it. Self-erasing ammo, pretty neat actually. The Force warns me again, and I press forwards to dodge.

Thalassia meets my charge and blocks well, but I've dodged the dart. Okay, they haven't given up. Great, they're probably going to keep doing that until they either get me, or she loses. Where the hell is this guy shooting from anyways?

I reach out with the Force, following the sunlight like a guiding beacon, back to the origin of the shot. Oh, look, it's the same asshole who tried to convince me to throw the fight. How to deal with him? I don't really want to kill him, so pushing him off the walkway he's standing on doesn't seem like a good idea.

Hmm, decisions to decisions. I thrust my sword forwards. Thalassia moves right to dodge, and I swing my sword after her, throwing all my power behind it. She's out of reach though and brings her sword down towards my back, forcing me to roll forwards to dodge. Another dart hits the ground where I used to be.

Goddamnit man, stop that! Thalassia doesn't let up, and before I can stand she's on me, sword descending towards my head. I block with both hands, and she presses down. Damnit, I need to move before he fires again. The Force warns me too late, and I summon strength to my muscles to push her off even as the dart impacts into my boots. It breaches through my boots and into my foot.

It hurts, but I suppress the pain and push Thalassia back to get some space. Okay, what's happening to me? There's something coursing through my bloodstream. I track it as it seeps into my muscles. Immediately my arm begins to go numb, and I grimace. A muscle relaxant of some kind?

Good thing I'm immune to poisons when I want to be. It's a simple matter, calling on the Force. Sunlight burns through my body and erases the poison everywhere it touches. I'd worried it might have been a lethal poison, but someone dropping dead of poison in the middle of a match could become a scandal. A muscle relaxant would make me lose without raising too many suspicions.

"Come on, where's that strength of yours?" Oh, right, there's a fight going on. I press forwards and force her to lock blades. We struggle against each other for a moment before I plant my feet and press forward to shoulder her back.

She takes the hit with a grunt and stumbles back. Points to her she recovers quickly and holds the defense as I chase her down. Metal sings as we trade blows, a dance of blades as we go high and low to overcome the other.

She goes for my feet, and I jump back to avoid it. Her sword arcs up to bat mine away when I descend on her. We stop to steady ourselves before rushing in again. She's breathing heavier, exhaustion finally beginning to show. She paces herself well, forcing me back with a series of quick jabs that transform into sweeping slashes seemingly without rhyme or reason.

I block, deflect and cut at her shoulder to force her away. Cut, slash, sidestep, thrust and parry. Our blades dance around each other in complicated arcs and styles. She'd be a good fit for Djem so if she could use the lightsaber. My Shii-Cho isn't well suited for fighting Djem So, but my strength and speed make up for it.

Mr. poison dart man seems confused and for good reason. Why isn't the poison working you may ask? Well I'm just super immune you fuck! Thank you Matukai poison immunity!

"You're slowing down." I say quietly as we lock blades again and she scowls, clearly realizing it. I'm not tired, barely even feeling it really. She pushes off and swings low, before immediately cutting upwards to try and take me as I jump.

Her blade misses my chest by inches, and I laugh. This adrenaline is exactly what I've asked for. But attrition is working in my favor now, time to press my advantage. I advance forwards and press the assault. She deflects or dodges, blocking only when necessary, and I do my best to make sure she does that.

Okay, step to the right to cut off her retreat, cut at her hip, and force her to check it. Spin and bring the sword down quickly to make her block. She's losing steam with each hit, but I want her to lose as nobly as I can. She hasn't attacked me in a few minutes now, not sure she can afford to. Slash at her sword, steel rings out, and the way she grimaces tells me it hurt.

She plants her feet, finds a stance, and I step back as she lashes out with a desperate attack. I summon all my strength and swing upwards at her outstretched blade. The ringing sound is almost deafening, but it is rewarding to see her sword go sailing out of her hands and clattering to the ground.

I point my sword at her, and she raises her hands in clear surrender. The crowd which had before been cheering loudly has gone silent. In its own way, the silence is even more deafening.

Thalassia finally smiles softly, bitterly, and bows her head. I feel a pang of regret but push past it. I'll apologize later; this is for a mission. Then the cheering begins again, and I step forward, extending a hand.

She takes it with a small smile, and I pull her to her feet. I clasp her on the back and pull her close to whisper in her ear.

"You fought well, Theron would still be proud. I promise to win this for you." She doesn't say anything, but her aura settles down considerably.

Meanwhile, I take note of the man leaving the arena. I'll deal with you later.


	72. Knight Errant: Chapter Twenty-one

36BBY Caltinia

The roar of the crowd is deafening, and the final match hasn't even really started yet. Tomas and I are standing opposite of each other in the arena while the announcer begins his welcoming speech. On one of the screens they're playing moments from all of our previous fights from the melee onwards.

I still don't like how my longer hair looks; I am so cutting it the minute this is done.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, our final match, the moment you've all been waiting for. And might I say, this is the greatest upset I've seen in all my days!" I should probably take offence to that, but I'm just not feeling it.

"In the one corner we have the mystery challenger, the unknown wild card who has overcome all her challengers! The Stalwart Sentinel, the masked knight! Who is she, what is her goal in this tournament, will we ever know the answer to these questions? We'll just have to wait and see!" Heh, a bit on the nose with that knight comment, though he doesn't realize it. I like being the wildcard. I'm also a little happy to be done with this place. There really isn't much to see here besides all the dueling arenas and mausoleums.

"In the other corner, all the way from Eshan comes a tireless and mighty warrior. His blows are like thunderbolts, but can he overcome this wildcard challenger? Who knows ladies and gentlemen, but this will be a fight to remember." Tomas smirks and readies his weapon. We've both talked about this, and we're not going to hold back against each other.

We won't use obvious leaps or other Force applications, but precognition and all our strength and speed are on the table. It doesn't really matter which one of us wins, either way we'll get the benefits from winning this competition. I was a better duelist than him the last time we fought. But that was years ago, and who knows how much better he's gotten since then.

The air is thick with tension as the announcer nears the end of his introduction. Neither of us approaches the other, instead too focused on watching, waiting for the other to make the move.

"Best of luck, may the best duelist win." Tomas raises his sword, both hands gripping the blade. His stance is Echani to the bone, the sword pointed up and out at an angle that allows for easy movement from one strike to the next.

"I intend to." I say, and he laughs, apparently happy with my competitiveness.

I've thought about it a bit, and seeing as this is the last fight, there's no reason I can't give the crowd a little show right? I raise my own blade up above my head, letting it rest behind me in a typical Djem So opening. Yeah, there's a chance some knowledgeable person out there will link it to Form V, but we're leaving after this fight and the subsequent paperwork anyways, so who cares.

Tomas doesn't immediately recognize the stance, but he knows I've changed it up for this match. He tenses, ready to move at the slightest indication of an attack, and I match him. At this point the both of us are only waiting for the signal to begin.

"Ladies and gentlemen, our humble audience! Prepare yourselves for the final event, the battle you've all been waiting for!" The roar of the crowd reaches a crescendo, and I think the show is about to begin.

"Competitors! Prepare yourselves and know that whoever wins, you have both earned great glory this day! Competitors, Begin!" A bell dings, and both of dash towards the other. My sword slams down towards his shoulders with all my strength.

His blade is there to meet mine, the clash a scream of steel on steel. The force of it causes the sword to shake in my hands. I can feel the power of his blows through my hands and up my arms. By the look on his face, he feels the same.

Our blades lock together. I press down to try and overpower him while he does the opposite. We're both evenly matched in strength though, and the effort soon proves futile. There will be no victory through strength here.

We both disengage at the same time. The Force warns me just as Tomas swings sideways, towards my left shoulder. My blade is already in the way as the Force guides my hands. Our weapons clash again in a scream of metal.

I lean back, letting his blade slide against mine before pushing to parry and deflect his blade to the right. He's forced to overextend or lose his blade, and I take the opportunity to lash out at him. He laughs and dances away, twisting and spinning on his feet in a remarkable display of agility. I can't let up on him and follow, swinging for his gut.

"You'll have to do better than that!" He chides, deflecting my strike before transitioning into a thrust towards my chest. My own blade comes up to block, and the dance continues once more. I can see him grinning. He's enjoying this, but there's no surprise there.

"It's been a long time, but I think I finally have a shot at beating you." He says, and I smile, though he can't see it.

"Has it bothered you for that long? You're still better at hand to hand than me." He scoffs and disengages to swing for my legs. The Force warns me, and I step into it to cut off his swing, my own blade sailing down towards his shoulders. He rolls forward, coming to his feet as I pursue him.

The dance continues, blades swing, metal crashes against metal. Cut, riposte, slash, block, dodge and strike. Repeat after repeat as the both of us try unsuccessfully to beat down the other.

We lock blades again, and he pushes, forcing both of our blades upwards. The Force warns me just as he twists to slam his shoulder into me, forcing me back and following it up with a thrust. I lean back and thank the Force he aimed high.

His blade goes high over me, my back is going to hurt later I know it, and I push the flat of his blade away with my palm. My sword arcs up for his hands, and he simply lets go of his sword, then grabs it again when my blade passes by.

Clever boy.

Slash, spin, sidestep and the battle begins once more. The Force surges within me, heating my skin and fueling my body with a burning fire. Tomas missteps, and I take the time to press the advantage, hammering his defenses with fast, powerful blows.

Tomas gives ground at every strike while he prepares his counterattack. Neither of us are tired at all; the Force pushes us onwards like a never ending forge. It does not make us immune to injury however, and right now my arms are killing me. Every blow sends lances of pain through my arms.

The Force can likewise deaden or lessen the pain, but it's still painful. I assume he feels likewise. Typical Echani though, his face betrays no emotion besides his joy with the fight, and his aura is strangely muted.

Has he learned to block that kind of sight, or is it just a natural part of his Echani stoicism. Something for later I guess. Right now I've got other concerns.

The Fight is reaching a crescendo now as it begins to pick up. With the enhanced speed and strength I'm having trouble even keeping track of the movement of the swords. The Force is completely guiding my moves now. Without it I'd never be able to keep up. The urge to jump, leap over him and strike, or perform a feat of acrobatics bordering on the inhuman is near overwhelming.

I can't risk it though. Even this is a bit of a stretch compared to what we did before. But it's not going to immediately out us, and by the time it happens we'll be away from here. If I start doing flips and aerial spins, then it stretches things quite a bit.

Still, it has to end soon. Our swords clash, and I get the slightest twitch from Tomas. Okay so it is hurting him as much as it hurts me. This can't keep up, lightsabers are one thing, swords are heavy and the vibrations traveling through the blade still hurt, a lot.

He plants his feet and feints right before slashing left. The Force guides my blade, and as we lock he twists the blade and pushes back. My sword slides along his, and he presses down, forcing my blade to the arena floor.

I can feel his confidence, and lifting my sword seems to be impossible right now. Can I pull back? I step backwards right before he shoulder charges me, slamming into me and sending me stumbling back.

Tomas gives me no rest, striking and stepping around my counterattacks. I breathe in and turn to the defensive. Deflection and avoidance are the name of the game now as I try to give myself some time to breathe and maneuver.

Plan, plan, I need a plan. Okay so he's as strong as me and as fast as me. So I need to play smarter, or dirtier, if I want to defeat him. Hmm, now there's an idea. I have a plan of action I think.

He presses the attack, and I shift to prepare myself. He raises his sword as if to go for an overhead strike, and I do the one thing he doesn't expect me to do.

I toss my sword at him.

It's natural instinct that causes him to twist his body to dodge, but I'm already chasing the blade as it lazily flies through the air. His own blade is twisted enough that sneaking by is relatively easy. He tries a quick thrust with the blade, but I've already twisted out of the way.

I reach out for the sword, grasping the hilt before it can go to far and arcing the blade towards Tomas's exposed chest. He's swinging after me, it's only a matter of who strikes first.

My sword slams into his chest, the dulled edge impacting against him. A moment later his own sword jabs into my my chest, and I suppress a hiss from the pain. Force that hurt, that hurt a lot.

He goes down, and I stumble back, clutching at my chest. The pain's there… but nothing seems to be broken, which is good. The crowd is silent, even the announcer who had been narrating in the background has gone silent.

Tomas rolls onto his back and sits up, rubbing the left side of his body and hissing at the pain, seems that hurt him too. Then he throws his head back in laughter and falls back to lay on the arena floor.

"You win, you got me first." The words, amplified by the arena's speakers, ring through the air for a long moment. Then the crowd begins shouting. The whole place seems to shake from the force of it, or maybe that's just me.

All I can do is smile behind the mask, turning to stare out into the arena. I can see Aladaa on her feet, practically bouncing around the private box. The announcer seems to have regained his voice.

"Ladies and gentlemen, that is it, the final match between Tomas and the Sentinel is over. The Sentinel has won, our masked lady has defeated all her opponents, the come from behind underdog has won the tournament!" The crowd continues their shouting as I walk over to Tomas and offer him a hand up. He takes it, and I pull him up. My arm's still sore, but the adrenaline flooding me is overwhelming.

"Congratulations, it was a good fight. I should have seen it coming though, but the honor is yours for manipulating me into falling for it." I pat him on the back and pull him in for a quick hug. It was a good match.

"Your mom and sisters would be proud." He smiles. I raise my sword arm up, and the crowd goes wild. Woo, that was fun. I don't really feel like doing it again, but the experience was pretty good.

"Will our victor please make her way through the doors. There will be a speeder waiting to take you to the palace for your prize." Well, here comes the ennobling I suppose. I still don't really care for it, even knowing what it entails. This is a means to an end, nothing more.

Although, aside from looking into the kidnapped citizens of Javin, the ennobling would give me an inroad to a number of financiers and merchants in the sector. I bet that Sata could use that for her business, how I don't know, but she'll find a way. I'll give her the signet ring when I drop off Aladaa.

"Go back to the others, get the ship warmed up and ready to go. We'll be departing as soon as this is done, make sure to stop and get some whiskey for me on the way back too." He chuckles and nods, jogging off to meet up with the others.

I shake my head and walk towards the doors myself, time to move on to Onderon, then Yetoom Naa Uun. That Black Sun Vigo's going to get what's coming to him, and I aim to be the one to do it.

"I really do hope it's like an actual knighting."

That was a lot less impressive than I'd hoped it would have been. The speeder that took me to the palace had an honest to Force news crew in it. Apparently giving a private interview was also required for the process, though goodness only knows why.

But, I didn't see a reason not to give a heavily edited version of my story, talking mostly about how I wanted to test myself in the competition. That was pretty much true, and it was a good test as far as I'm concerned. If I ever somehow lose much of my Force-sensitivity, I could have a future in the Caltinia dueling scene.

Predictably, discussion turned towards my name, and I happily revealed my name to be Sumati, might as well tie this to my previous identity on Nantama. Even if Arkanus were to remember it, I convinced him he had a fun time that night, by all means he shouldn't feel the need to do anything about me.

Unless for whatever reason he wants another round, I'll have to find a way to turn him down gently in that case. Not sure how, but I imagine it will involve getting him drunk and mind tricking him.

Could I convince him to sleep with another guy… note to self bribe Tomas to take one for the team. I'd pay him for that, like a lot of money, now that I think about it.

Anyways, once that was done, they took me into the palace where some official looking gentlemen had me fill out a number of forms and take a holo for their records. They would not accept the mask being on, so I reluctantly took it off, not like I'll be on this planet after this is done with.

If they were shocked by my Miraluka status, they didn't say anything, but my Onderonian affiliation did surprise them. Okay, so maybe that threw them off? It was still conducted with a lot of formality, and specific addressing of titles and rights as established by House Elegin.

After that, they gave me a signet ring, an ornate ceremonial sword, and a special clasp for a cloak to signify my noble status. I also need to pick out a sigil or something like that, but there's no rush for that now, and I can do it later.

Then, they had me kneel while an official stood over me and verified the new rank and title.

"By the authority invested in me by the House of Elegin, I do deem thee, Sumati Achaval, Chevalier. By right of battle, and of victory, may your deeds be many and your glory unending. I charge you, in the spirit of your rank, to live honorably, fight justly and protect the weak."

And then they basically bowed, said good day milady, and let me go. So, yay? I'm officially a noble Chevalier, not really the equivalent of a Jedi Knight in my opinion. But there is a certain ring to it I suppose, Chevalier Achaval, Sumati the Chevalier of Onderon? I could get used to that I think, would be pretty cool.

It's going to take some time tracking down the kidnapped citizens, but at least I now have a foot in the door and don't need to sneak around so much. I can get started on inquiries now, and maybe by the time I'm done with Black Sun here, I'll have something tangible to go on.

Then it's just a matter of bringing it up to Tarkin and letting him use all the weight of the ROSF to convince them to give back the citizens of Javin. I whistle merrily as I walk down the corridors of the palace. The mask is off and tossed in a bin somewhere, not like people will be looking for the maskless Sentinel.

Still, as I walk I can't help but notice something at the edge of my perception. I expand my senses outwards and smile when I see who it is. Why hello there my friend. I believe I have unfinished business with you.

Detouring to find the asshole who tried to poison me isn't that hard, he doesn't even see me coming. It's interesting to see him in the official government building and not skulking around. I guess that proves he works for someone in House Elegin? I don't think it's Thalassia. Maybe her brother decided to help her win, or another family member. I'm not sure, and I suppose I don't care too much right now. There's a camera in the hall he's walking in, so I reach out with the Force to crush it.

Still, it's satisfying to walk around the corner and grab him by the throat, pressing him up against the wall. He looks at me uncomprehending for a moment, before recognition kicks in, and his struggles increase.

"Why, hello there my friend. How nice to see you again." I purr, and he shakes his head at me.

"So, who's idea was it to try and poison me in that fight, huh? I'd really be interested in knowing." He grips my hand and tries to break the hold with limited success.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about." His aura says otherwise, and I lean in close to whisper in his ear.

"The camera's are out, no one's going to know what I do to you here, choose your next words carefully. You want to tell me who sent you and why." The whispered suggestion is enhanced by the Force, and he shivers in terror. The man is a dirty coward when confronted, and no one's anywhere nearby to save him.

"I-I-I w-w-work f-for House Elegin. L-l-lord Ral wished to see his cousin win the competition that's all I swear! He gave me the poison, said it was a nerve-deadening agent." Hmm, well at least it wasn't anything lethal. I don't know who Lord Ral is, but I imagine he's somewhere farther up the chain of command.

Is it worth going after him for? Eh, I'm leaving the planet and probably won't be getting involved here again, so I don't care. In any event, that means I've nothing to really do to this gentleman here.

"If I ever see you again, you might live to regret it. Now good day to you sir." I let the man drop and walk off, watching him shake on the floor in terror. Well, not quite what I expected from that, but it's settled I guess.

Back to the ship and then we're off-planet.

Everyone's waiting when I get to the ship. The ramp begins raising up as I step onboard. Almost immediately a little missile barrels into me, and I wrap her in a firm hug. Aladaa laughs as I pat the top of her head.

"Hey there kid, you enjoy the fight?" I let her go, and she steps back, practically bouncing in place.

"That was awesome, you were so cool! I could barely see half of it but even still it was awesome!" She swings her hands back in forth in her own imitation of my fight. Making 'swish' sounds as she does, that's adorable.

"I was indeed, glad that you were rooting me on Aladaa. You get anything good from the event?" She smiles and hands me a datapad from her pocket. I take a look and whistle at the sum of money. Even after taking ten percent for herself, that's a pretty insane amount of money.

Did she just use previous winnings in later bets? I mean, wow, I don't even know what to do with even a tenth that much money. She looks proud of herself, and I smile, hard not to really.

"You did great, Aladaa. Tell me something, how would you like to go see that princess I told you about last night?" I feel the ship lift off; Ehruss is already getting us out of here, making the ascent into the atmosphere. I already told her, so she knows where we're going.

"Really! Are we going to help her with something?" Oh, and here's the part that I don't enjoy getting into, but needs be what they must.

"Well, no not really, I need you to stay with her for a little bit while I continue this Black Sun case. We're going to a shadowport and it's going to be very dangerous." She frowns, and I can see the sadness, disappointment, and yes fear in her aura.

"Why? I want to stay with you." She pouts, and I immediately want to give in, I really do. But, I can't in good conscience take her into a danger zone like that, maybe if I didn't have the bounty and wasn't being hunted.

"I know, but I'm going to come back to get you, I just don't want to put you in danger. Sata is a friend of mine, and someone I trust. She'll take good care of you until I come back." I assume she'll say yes, but I've got a hefty bribe waiting if she doesn't. Aladaa still doesn't look convinced, and I smirk, leaning in to whisper conspiratorially.

"Hey, she's studying business from a long-distance university program. I bet there's a lot she could teach you about trading." That brightens her up a bit, but she's still a little upset at apparently being left behind.

And afraid of losing a stable home, I can see it buried it underneath everything else. I sigh and hug her close again. She wraps her arms around me easily enough. Bruck walks by, sees us, and turns around to walk back the other way.

"I will be coming back, Aladaa. I promise you, one way or another I will come back to get you this isn't permanent." She calms down just a bit, and I hum a little tune, half-formed memories of Yoda standing over me as a youngling, a tune on his lips.

"Now come on, we'll get something to eat and I'll tell you about the time I fought a Krayt Dragon with Ehruss and some friends." She brightens a little, and together we head into the galley. Tomas already has the whiskey chilled when I step in.

It's time to celebrate!

It'll be good to see Sata again. I find myself actually looking forward to it.


	73. Interlude XXIII

Onderon 36BBY

Awareness came slowly, the haze of sleep slowly drifting away as Satajayu awoke. There was something at the edge of her awareness, a low droning that she couldn't make out. She was tired, and she didn't want to get up yet. Something prodded at her memory, but it was fuzzy, and she tried to let it drift away.

"-milady, you need to wake up." The voice, it wanted to disturb her dreams, draw her from within her oh so comfortable sheets. She grumbled a no and tried to bury herself back into her sheets.

"-Jedi has arrived in system, asking to speak with you." The words made some sort of sense. She recognized them, but she couldn't say from where. She was waking, slowly, regretfully, but she was waking up. That was important, wasn't it?

"-Knight Sarat has asked to speak with you." Sarat...there was something about that name, something important. She tried to focus on it… then her eyes snapped open.

Adrenaline suddenly coursing through her veins she practically leapt up, throwing her blanket back. The maid who'd come to wake her, probably on her father's behalf, rushed over to make the bed as she half-stumbled, half ran to her closet.

"Viera Sarat is here?" She asked, eyes roving over the clothes hanging in her closet. Oh goodness, why hadn't Viera told her she was coming by! She could have prepared for her visit! Why was she coming here? It was unannounced and sudden, so it had to be something important right?

"Yes, your highness, her ship arrived in system ten minutes ago. She sent a transmission down, requesting an audience with you. Your grandfather approved her landing and sent me to inform you of her presence." That meant she hadn't landed yet. There was still time, not a lot but still.

"Quickly, send Aadhira up here, and send word down to the kitchens to prepare some food. She might not have eaten yet, but something light just in case." The maid bowed and departed, leaving Sata alone for the moment.

If she'd just arrived, then it'd be at least another thirty to forty minutes before she landed, time enough to properly dress for the occasion. Now, she just had to find something to wear! She was still thinking five minutes later when Aadhira arrived.

Aadhira had been a friend and companion since girlhood, and one of the few people outside her own family she felt comfortable confiding in. She looked her up and down and then to the closet.

"Sat, what's going one? You look… well you're panicking." Was she? It couldn't be helped. Viera was coming back, and it was sudden. She didn't know what to think, but the anxiety was turning knots in her stomach.

"Viera Sarat just arrived in-system and has requested to see me." Aadhira inhaled sharply, which just about summed up Satajayu's own thoughts on the matter. She had been the only one Sata had felt safe confiding her little secret to.

"Do you know why she's here? It could be a follow-up on the kidnapping?" Sata shook her head, and that was the worst part! There were numerous impersonal, Jedi reasons that Viera could be coming here for.

But, those reasons weren't in the teasing thoughts she couldn't banish. Still, she had a duty to meet her visitor and friend with proper decorum. She just wished she could stop the anxious beating of her heart.

"No, I don't know, I don't know what to do!" She really didn't. She couldn't keep her thoughts straight, pulling her in so many different directions as they were. Aadhira nodded, green eyes roaming to her closet before reaching in.

"Alright, we've got time, the green and red dress, and you still have that sapphire necklace somewhere, don't you?" She did. It had been a gift from a suitor some years past, but the man had died in an accident before anything could come of it.

Dressing was a simple matter, Aadhira combing her hair while she busied herself with not having an anxiety attack. She was a princess; she was better than that. Years of diplomatic and etiquette instruction had prepared her for meeting with important emissaries, now if only her body would cooperate.

"Calm down Sat, you look great. I swear, you're hopeless." Sata frowned, which only served to make her friend laugh at her misfortune.

"She's a Jedi anyways, it's not like anything will come of it." Jedi weren't allowed attachments, they didn't have relationships or marry, outside Cereans. Everyone knew that. It's not like she'd ever reciprocate. It would be so much better if she just let it run its course; she'd grow out of it soon enough.

"Well, you know, it's just the no-attachment thing. Jedi aren't required to be celibate, from what I hear." She didn't need the mirror in front of her to know that her friend was smirking deviously. She could feel the heat rushing to her face, impossible not to. How her face wasn't as red as a ruby she didn't know. That wasn't… she didn't… Sata had no good response to that.

"A-Aadhira, that's...I'm not….don't do that!" She wanted to cover her face and hide away. Force, she was a little girl all over again. Aadhira laughed and pulled her into a quick hug.

"I'm teasing, Sat, I know. Honestly though, anyone that can convince you not to stay up all night or skip meals is a miracle worker in my books." She was already flushed from the embarrassing thoughts her friend had provoked, but now she had a distraction at least.

"I wasn't that bad," she countered, ignoring her friend's snort of disbelief. Aadhira stood and looked her over before smiling and nodding.

"Alright, you look like a proper princess, formal but not too much so. She should be landing any minute now, you better go." She nodded and bid her friend a farewell as she made her way down to one of the small lounges set aside for such a meeting.

She pointedly ignored Aadhira's 'Have fun on your date'. She didn't need that right now.

The lounge was lavishly furnished. The marble stone floors were accented with a deep blue rug and wonderful mosaic of Queen Talia and her children. There was an ornate table with room for four, but she refrained from sitting as it would be rude to take a seat before her guest.

Instead, she took the time to calm herself and order her thoughts, even when the maid stepped in to announce that Viera had landed and was coming with a guest. That certainly intrigued her, Viera had company.

Okay, that was good. It couldn't be anything but professional then; she was probably traveling with another Jedi. It would be her, Viera, and this other Jedi, most likely following up on the Mandalorian attack. She pointedly ignored the part of her that was disappointed it wasn't a one-on one.

It was perfectly professional, perfectly normal. Nothing unexpected or out of the ordinary. The door chimed, and Viera stepped inside, followed by a little Togruta girl with red-white skin. The Togruta was apparently hiding behind Viera's legs shyly.

Satajayu's brain stopped. Viera didn't seem to notice her mental breakdown, smiling brightly as she stepped forward.

"Sata! It's so good to see you again, you're looking great. I'm glad to see you're not skipping meals anymore." Viera stepped forward, placing a hand on Sata's shoulder. Her heart seemed to stop too.

"I… am very glad to see you too, Viera. But, I'm afraid I haven't met your friend." She looked at the Togruta girl, who seemed to have found something very interesting about the floor now that Viera's legs weren't providing cover.

Viera laughed and turned to face the girl.

"Aladaa, this is my friend Satajayu Dendup. But she prefers Sata, come on now, don't be shy." Viera said, soothingly. The Girl, Aladaa, looked up at her and breathed in slowly.

"A p-pleasure to meet you, Sata," she said, and Sata resisted the urge to go over and hug her. It was, admittedly, adorable. Viera had no such inhibitions and pulled her into a hug.

"You're awesome Aladaa, so proud of you." The girl yelped and tried to break free, but the smile on her face betrayed her pleasure at the praise. Sata was curious as to the story behind her presence, but turned her attention to Viera.

She wasn't dressed in Jedi robes, instead wearing a pair of brown pants and a yellow tunic, with a blue-green vest over it. Plain, but functional, and she did not fail to note the way it complemented her more muscular form.

No, she had to hold herself together, as much as she wanted to just let the memory burn into her brain.

"So, Viera, it seems congratulations are in order. You're a Jedi Knight now." Viera laughed softly as they all took seats around the table.

"Yes, well, after that whole business with the Mandalorians, the council felt I was ready to take the trials." Sata's face darkened a little at the thought of the kidnapping, but it was a bit pleasing to know that she had helped her friend earn knighthood in a sense.

"You truly deserve it, fighting kidnappers, mercenaries, and now Black Sun. You get around quite a bit, so how did you meet Aladaa here?" The girl perked up at the sound of her name, and Viera smiled.

"Well, I was on Nantama looking for clues to Black Sun and found her. She helped me out a bit, and well, when I learned she had no family, how could I not take her with me?" Sata nodded slowly, that did sound like what she'd seen of Viera.

The door chimed, and a servant stepped in, carrying three plates of grilled nerf strips, hawk-bat eggs, and a blumfruit muffin for them. They sat in silence for a few minutes as they ate.

Sata was a princess, and aside from diplomacy and etiquette, she'd been taught to watch and observe. Aladaa reached for a strip of nerf meat, only to stop when Viera handed her the fork. It honestly brought back memories of her mother, before the accident. She'd been just a little girl at the time.

'She plays the role well.' Which was odd for someone raised as as a Jedi, but it was endearing. She hushed that thought; it wouldn't go anywhere, it was pointless. But then there was Aladaa. She had to ask, she couldn't not.

"So, Viera, I thought Jedi were forbidden attachments. Usually it's brought up in the context of romance, but wouldn't she count as an attachment?" Viera shrugged, taking a bite from her muffin before replying.

"I suppose, but I've never really cared about that rule. Attachments only cause problems when you hit obsession. My attachments give me a sense of purpose, I'm attached to Aladaa, to my friends, to the other Jedi, to the Republic. And it's because of those attachments, that I want to do the best I can to help whoever I can. I feel it makes me a better Jedi, not a worse one." Satajayu nodded along, but internally her mind was a whirlwind of thoughts and emotion.

'She doesn't care about that rule.' Damn her, Sata had convinced herself nothing could come of it, and Viera had casually shattered that belief, and she'd done it completely unintentionally too. Her traitorous heart was all too willing to repeat the words over and over in her head.

"I see, that's very noble of you." Aladaa giggled, and Satajayu gave her a curious look. She heard the clink of a fork being set on a plate, and when she turned back to Viera, there was a small box in her hand. It looked exactly like a ring box.

Satajayu's heart stopped, and for a second she was sure she'd died. Then it started beating again, only it felt like someone had set the throttle to maximum. She was completely speechless, what was this, what did it mean? Why did Viera have a ring box, and why was she showing it to her?

Her heart couldn't handle this!

Viera opened it to reveal… a signet ring? It was relatively plain and unadorned, but the significance of it was not lost on Satajayu. She looked up at Viera.

"Speaking of noble, it seems I went and got myself a noble title, mostly unintentionally. I won a tournament on Caltinia and the prize was an ennobling. I'm a Chevalier now." She grinned, and Sata took the moment to compose herself. She wasn't quite confident in her ability to speak at that moment.

"It's under my Sumati Achaval identity, but I figured I could give it to you. You're more familiar with this kind of thing, and I figured you could use it to get a foot into the Senex sector with the connections there." It would also give her access to Senex's markets, something that could do wonders for her business opportunities if she so chose.

"Oh, and by the way, Aladaa made bets on me, so I've got a lot of credits. I don't have a use for most of it, so I figured you might be able to do something with it." She handed Sata a datapad. Sata looked over it briefly, then at the amount.

"V-Viera! This is, do you realize how much money you're giving me!" She was going to have a heart attack, she just knew it. It was too much. Viera shrugged as if it wasn't a big deal.

"I mean, 65 million credits should be enough to get your business going." How much did she think that setting up a mining platform cost?

"It's more than enough, I could spend a third of this and be ready to go! What am I going to do with the rest?" Again, Viera shrugged.

"Whatever you like really, I kept a little bit for myself and I don't need the rest." Sata didn't know how to respond to that. She sighed, and let the frustration fade away.

When Viera had first contacted her about setting up a fake identity, Satajayu had been all too eager to pay her back for saving her life. Then, Viera had gotten her valuable contacts for mining equipment and expertise. She'd tried paying her for the services rendered, and now Viera had basically handed her the money she needed to get started and more.

How was she supposed to repay that? A few thoughts crossed her mind, and she thanked the Force that since Miraluka couldn't see color, Viera could not see her face turn red. No, she had to find some suitable method of repaying her for this gift.

"I-I'm sure you didn't come all this way just to give me millions upon millions of credits." It was a sensible assumption, but at the same time Sata was terrified that Viera would have something else equally as grand waiting.

"Ah yes, so, regarding my investigation into Black Sun. I've got a lead on a Black Sun Vigo, one I need to take up quickly. I can't bring Aladaa with me though, it's going to be far too dangerous. I was hoping you could watch over her for a bit, a few weeks at most." Aladaa fidgeted, giving Viera a look that said very clearly how much she didn't want her to go.

Well, babysitting was a start to paying her back. She had to start somewhere after all. How hard could watching over an eleven year old Togruta girl be?

'It'll also make her like you more', that traitorous thought whispered through her mind, and she fought to keep it down. Yes, Viera would be happy with her for it, and showing she could do a good job of taking care of her pseudo-daughter figure would be a mark in her favor. It didn't have to mean anything.

"Of course, I can keep an eye on her for you. I'm sure there's plenty for her to do, she'll barely know you're gone." Viera smiled, and Sata briefly thought she'd be blinded by it. She stood and walked around the table, surprising Sata with a hug.

And the heart goes thump-thump-thump.

"Thanks, Sata, I knew I could count on you! Aladaa, be good for Sata while I'm gone. Take care of yourself, and I'll be back for you as soon as I can." She made her goodbyes quickly and dashed out the door, apparently in something of a hurry.

For a long moment there was silence, Sata turned to Aladaa who was giving her a very knowing smile. Sata was briefly reminded of a predator, an adorable predator, but a predator nonetheless.

"So, how much for a holo of Viera in a dress?" Aladaa said slowly.

A very dangerous girl indeed.


	74. Interlude XXIV

Nar Shaddaa 36BBY.

Arligan Zey had never been to Nar Shaddaa before; in all the years of his travels he had never been given a reason to go to Nar Shaddaa. He really didn't want to be here now. The rumors had not done its depravity justice.

But he and his Master still had a job to do here. Zey brought their small freighter down to the landing pad gently, ignoring the feeling of misery and pain practically radiating off of the planet. It felt like he was being smothered in it. Breathe in, and breathe out. He ran a hand through his hair and cut the engines once they were settled.

"Trouble, padawan?" Tera Sinube asked, walking into the cockpit. The Cosian Jedi Master looked through the viewport at the sprawling ecumenopolis before them.

"Ah yes, it has been some time since I came to Nar Shaddaa, some things might have changed, but it's still the same planet." Master Sinube said, and Zey rolled his eyes slowly, sure the same as before.

"Yeah, and the shipyards and fleet in orbit were always there?" They'd been obviously new constructions, but there had been some tense moments as they flew through marauder corvettes, CR-90s, and more.

"True, things have changed, but the overall nature of this place is no different than before. The Hutts are gearing up for a conflict, we've known that for a long time." It was an understatement. The Order had assigned diplomats and ambassadors to assist Chancelor Valorum's own advisors in crafting a peace deal. No matter how much the Hutts arguably deserved being torn down, the Order had decided the potential death toll too high to justify an armed conflict. A war in the Outer Rim was the last thing anyone wanted.

"All the better we get in and out of here as quickly as we possibly can. Our goal here is the identity of the person who posted that bounty on your friend." Master Sinube continued. Zey nodded his agreement, not really much else to say. The two of them left the cockpit and headed for the ramp. M5-BZ beeped something at the ramp, and Zey offered the droid a quick nod.

"We're heading out Beezee, be ready for action." The droid's head spun as the droid made to follow them down the ramp and onto Nar Shaddaa proper.

They'd both changed clothes, exchanging their Jedi robes for short tunics and simple jackets. Zey had a blaster on his belt and his lightsaber hidden away. Master Sinube had also hidden his lightsaber, but Zey couldn't tell where.

It was just another mark how far he still had to go in comparison. Master Sinube had taught him a lot about concealing weapons and other useful items from all manner of detection, but the aging Jedi Master still had a number of tricks up his sleeve. Zey could only hope he'd be just as good someday.

That was for the future though, and he had to keep his mind in the present. His thoughts turned to the reason he was here. Viera had gone and gotten herself into some trouble again. How she managed to anger someone enough that they would put a bounty on her head was beyond him.

'Just another bit of her insanity.' he thought. Viera was complicated only in relation to the crazy situations she managed to get herself into: Krayt Dragons, Sorcerers, pirate invasions, and criminal hunts across entire sectors.

She could have all of that nonsense in his opinion. He'd gladly take the simple and straightforward missions. That said, he'd still gladly help her out. Aside from the fact that he counted her as a friend, allowing the precedent to stand was bad for the Order.

Bounty Hunters were already a disreputable lot on the whole. While Zey understood the purpose the served, he would not let them get the thought into their heads that they could target Jedi Knights with impunity.

They passed through the spaceport, past throngs of people, criminal and not. A pair of Nikto eyed them closely as they passed, but a pointed look had them turning away. A destitute Evocii begged for credits by the loading bays while prostitutes of various species plied their trade. One of them, a young human woman with flowing red hair, winked at him as he passed.

He didn't pay her an attention, though he did note the slave tattoo on her neck. It was actually becoming more and more uncommon a sight in the Outer Rim. Compared to his early padawan years at least.

"As much as things change, the more they stay the same," he whispered as they walked. Master Sinube didn't say anything but nodded his head slowly as they walked.

They went across walkways and down elevators to lower levels, going in seemingly roundabout paths as they managed Nar Shaddaa's winding architecture.

Exiting the sixth elevator they walked past a group of Trandoshans exhibiting a wide selection of slaves to the passerby. He could see humans, wookiees, mirialans, bothans, togruta, and more. Notably, he could see only one Twi'lek woman, and the price was exorbitant. He frowned and turned to Master Sinube.

"Master Sinube,did you see that?" Tera Sinube nodded. The old Cosian Jedi Master spared the auction a glance before they moved on towards the Bounty Hunter's office.

"Yes, I saw. The demand for slaves is still high, Twi'leks especially, but supply has gone down considerably. That bodes ill for the future of the Outer Rim. The Council's fears of a broad Outer Rim war seem to be correct." The Ruusan Reformations had marked the end of the last great war in the Republic, that had been a thousand years ago. Now, it seemed a new war was on the way.

"If they do, then we'll beat them back down, wouldn't this be the perfect excuse to dismantle Hutt Space?" War wasn't ideal, but surely the Hutts couldn't stand up to the industrial might of the Republic. Master Sinube hm'd noncommittally.

"Perhaps, but it is prudent to remember the Hutts have remained unconquered for more than 20,000 years for a reason. Their wealth allows for the hiring of mercenary forces to bolster their own, and while the Republic could eventually win, it would not be without loss." Master Sinube shook his head slowly and continued onwards, Zey following.

"War is to be avoided as long as possible, Zey, a diplomatic solution will present itself." Zey nodded at Master Sinube's words even if he privately disagreed. The war was inevitable as far as he could tell, better a first strike on their part than on the Hutt's.

The Bounty Hunters Guild office was set up in an open promenade filled with people. Zey and Sinube blended into the crowd easily as they observed the building. Despite the crowded promenade, few people dared go too near the office. Outside the building a couple of people gathered, smoking deathsticks and idly chatting.

"They've already said they don't know the identity of the poster. They even let Jedi slicers check their records. What makes you think they know?" He asked, but Master Sinube's gaze wasn't locked on the office, rather it was darting from building to building, eyes turned upwards.

Zey frowned for a moment before he got it, then he sighed and looked up for cameras.

"You think someone recorded it?" He asked, and Sinube nodded. It wasn't a bad thought. The Hutts kept a close eye on Nar Shaddaa, but they'd need to find a camera, then find the access station where those records were kept. Then they had to hope the camera records went back that long. Of course, then they'd need to go through all of the potential people who went in and out to narrow down possibles.

That was going to be mind-numbing work, but it was necessary. Then he spotted it, a camera about forty meters above the promenade. It had a prime view of the office.

"Master, look, up there." Master Sinube looked up and nodded when he saw the camera.

"Good eyes Zey, now we'll need to find a good place to borrow the camera." Unfortunately, he couldn't just leap up and cut down the camera with his lightsaber. That'd be rather obvious.

They'd probably need to find a secluded place above it. Tearing it off of the mooring would work but would be louder than he'd have liked. A saber throw could work, at least a bit quieter, while preserving the most of the camera intact. Master Sinube could grab it with the Force and lift it to them. Nice and clean, just how he liked it.

"There, Zey, on the next level. There's a secluded balcony. We'll get it from there." He looked to where Master Sinube was pointing and nodded. It would serve, and if they were unlucky they would have time to run before security came after them.

Beezee chirped a series of sounds that might have been an approval or dismissal; he didn't know.

Together they made their way upstairs towards the balcony. Zey couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. He could feel the Force telling him something. He just couldn't make heads or tails of it. Regardless, he quieted his breathing to let the Force flow through him, senses expanded outwards for threats.

Which admittedly was hard, this entire planet was technically a threat. Countless sentients here who wouldn't mind shooting at a pair of Jedi for no other reason than annoyance, and that wasn't getting into the Hutts themselves.

When they arrived at the secluded balcony, he crouched down low to minimize his profile and removed his lightsaber from the hidden pocket in his vest. He closed his eyes, let the Force flow through him, and ignited it. The snap-hiss of the blade echoed slightly before he tossed it, the Force guiding its movements as it arced down towards the camera.

The lightsaber acted instantly, severing the camera from its place and arcing back towards him. Master Sinube took over from there, catching the camera and reversing its descent, pulling it upwards and towards them. All in all, it had gone pretty well he thought. Then Beezee screeched a warning.

Something was behind them. The Force had only just warned him, cursing he spun as his lightsaber returned to him. The blue blade fit his hand like it had been meant for it as he spun to meet their foes.

A human, a Zabrak, a Bith, and oddly enough two female Twileks, all of them with blaster rifles pointed down. They weren't firing, that was good, either they were stupid or thought they could gloat before open firing. Zey wasn't inclined to let them.

"Calm yourself, Zey. They aren't our foes here today." He didn't spare Master Sinube a glance for safety, but he did lower his lightsaber a little. Now that he thought about it some more, they weren't dressed like common Nar Shaddaa scum, or Hutt guardsmen. They had rather simple, unadorned dress: pants, tunic, and jackets that no doubt hid all manner of weaponry and gadgets.

And their comportment was suspiciously militaristic. Still, if Master Sinube wasn't in a rush to fight, then neither would he be. He deactivated his lightsaber, but he wouldn't put it back in its hiding place just yet.

The human smiled and lowered his blaster rifle some more, running a hand through his short black hair before stepping forward. He extended a hand which Master Sinube took.

"A pleasure to meet you, Master Jedi. We weren't expecting to see Jedi on this op, but we won't say no to it." Zey frowned at the words, but Master Sinube simply smiled.

"The pleasure is all mine, but I'm afraid we don't know you gentlebeings. An introduction seems to be in order." One of the Twileks—green skinned and lithe—snorted, but the human ignored it easily.

"Ah yes, how could I forget to introduce myself." He snapped to attention and offered them a short, crisp salute.

"Captain Errol Vance, Havoc Squad. I can only assume we're all here for the same purpose. We're all looking for whoever posted the bounty on Jedi Knight Sarat?" Zey tensed. What was Havoc Squad doing here? From what he'd heard, they were the ROSF's new elite commando outfit. Zey supposed that if the ROSF was going to send anyone, it would be their best.

Still, the same purpose? What interest did the ROSF have in Viera? Zey knew that Viera had been with the ROSF on Troiken, but surely that couldn't have been the reason, right? Master Sinube smiled slowly and stepped forward, camera in hand.

"You are correct, Captain. And I suspect there will be some unfortunate violence before this investigation is through. If you like, I would gladly work with you to uncover the identity of the poster, and get the bounty dropped." Zey sighed and shook his head. Well, he wouldn't say no to help.

Captain Vance laughed and shouldered his blaster rifle, causing the rest of his squad to do likewise.

"Our ship has a fully equipped data suite, Lieutentant Masaque is a capable data specialist, we'll find the data storage facility soon enough." The Zabrak smiled and raised a hand in greeting.

Zey had a feeling this mission was going to be a lot more exciting than he anticipated


	75. Interlude XXV

Caltinia 36BBY.

Thalassia Elegin slipped through the halls of her ancestral home, down corridors of marble and wood, painted and adorned with mosaics of past glories, and rich gemstones. House Elegin's wealth was extensive, and as one of the richest and most powerful noble houses in Senex their holdings were extensive.

Her cousins were outside, dueling in the yard, her father was upstairs in the study, and goodness only knows where her mother had gone off to. Certainly wherever it was, she had no interest in them right now.

Thalassia could have gone anywhere, train with her cousins, spend time with her father, or simply go and read. She'd had plenty of time to think, to rest after her loss in the tournament. The thought of it still tore great knots of anxiety and depression through her.

She'd really hoped to win the tournament for Theron. She hadn't been able to see much of him lately, secluded as he'd been in his workshop. She'd correct that now though. She turned down a hallway and opened a door to the lower levels of the estate. Theron's workshop was in the lower levels of the estate, out of the way of the rest of the mansion.

It still angered her, how her parents could just pretend their sickly son didn't exist. They were completely uninterested in him. He was a genius, but they'd never know. She descended downstairs, and through the door at the bottom of the staircase.

The inside of his workshop was eerily sterile; the smell of disinfectant and cleaner immediately assaulted her nose. She resisted the urge to sneeze through plenty of practice. Theron would only fret if she sneezed in here.

Speaking of, she found Theron in the back of his workshop, bent over a broken war-droid. She scowled at the droid; he was working on that project again. She hated it, but understood why he did it, had to do it.

"You're back, I was beginning to think you'd forgotten about me," he said slowly, and she winced at his words, as well as the way his voice rasped. Today wasn't looking like a good day for him.

"I-I'm sorry, I just. I didn't want to face you right away, after losing." She wasn't proud of it. She was the only person he could rely on, but everytime she made to go visit him, all she could think of was her failed promise. He seemed to take it in stride, not turning to face her. He tended to get caught up in his projects like that.

"It's not your fault, you tried your best. The very fact that you were willing to try was enough for me." He rasped, and she found a chair, buried behind some of his tools and broken parts to drag over.

She took a seat, sliding up next to him. She could see his face, brown hair matted down by sweat and clinging to his face. He was breathing a bit heavy, had he eaten recently or not? She should have brought him some food.

"I know, but you always said you wanted to earn that glory when we were kids. I had hoped to win it for you, maybe then father would have taken notice of you, would do something about your condition." If mentioning her father affected him at all he didn't say it, instead working even harder on his project.

"Yes, well, I wanted to be the greatest swordsman Caltinia had ever seen, but the Gods did not bless me with the physique for it. Not much I can do about it now." He stopped to cough, loudly, and for a moment Thalassia wanted to reach out to him.

He waved her off, she didn't fail to note the speck of blood on his hands. She looked around the workshop, standing to shift through tools and benches. The medicine, it was here somewhere; she was sure of it.

"They're behind the hydrospanner… I think." He rasped, and she nodded heading for it and grabbing the small bottle resting behind them. There weren't a lot left in there, but enough for now at least.

She carried it over, and he sighed, but took the medication nonetheless. His body still shook from the coughing, but at least it was starting to settle down.

"I hate this, I hate that you have to do this for your medicine, I hate that father doesn't care… I-I just don't know what to do." She shook her head slowly, and sunk back into the chair. When she looked back at him, he offered her a weak smile.

"You could tell father, save yourself from the trouble at least." He said softly. She looked from him to the war-droid and shook her head.

"I can't be sure he wouldn't just decide to kill you over it, or take advantage of the situation." She said, and he laughed weakly.

"It'd still be better than Black Sun, wouldn't it?" He tried to smile but gave up on it, going back to repairing the war-droid he'd designed. He'd always been good at building things, given enough time and effort. It was just the greatest shame that Black Sun had taken note of his skill, and the fact that he needed very specific medications.

It had started slowly, before they'd wormed their way in, practically dictating his fate for the medications needed. She trusted no other member of her family for this matter, and she knew they were monitoring her if she tried to escape with him.

"No one else would pay for your medicine, father doesn't care, mother is willfully blind, and I refuse to just abandon you to your fate." Thalassia said quickly, wrapping an arm around her younger twin. Theron didn't say anything at first, eyes roaming over the droid before speaking.

"They want me to go to the production facility tomorrow, update some of the designs. They've got combat data from Kalee back." He said finally, and she scowled, though it wasn't directed at him.

"Again? You can't keep traveling like this, that's not enough time to get you prepped and ready." His condition was delicate, requiring preparation for going anywhere. A stray wind could knock him over. He shrugged slowly, the effort laborious on him, and she firmly—but gently—pulled his hands away from the droid. He needed food and some rest, especially if he was going to be traveling.

"Truly a shame, dear cousin, but if you want the medicine, then he has to go, does he not?" A new voice interrupted, and she threw a scowl in the man's direction. Brent Elegin leaned against the wall of the workshop, blond hair combed back, that same cocky smile on his face.

She'd vowed one day to knock it off of his face. She should have known he'd been Black Sun. She'd merely thought him to be a fool, too interested in drinking and partying to amount to much, maintaining enough sword skill to stay in the family graces but otherwise aloof.

How wrong she'd been; he'd bought off guards and bureaucrats, functionaries on multiple levels of government. And he'd done it all with the same slimy charm. How many of the palace servants and guards were his, she didn't know. She only knew it was a lot.

"Ah, sweet cousin, you wound me with that look, and after all I did to help you win the tournament," he chuckled, walking forward to them. Thalassia scowled at him.

"You bribed my opponent's!" she growled, she'd wondered why some of her foes had proven too easy, too weak. She'd wondered how they surpassed the melee. Brent shrugged.

"I did it under your father's name if it concerns you, I was merely trying to help you achieve your dream for dear Theron here. A simple shame that woman refused my generous offer, else you might have emerged the victor." He sounded dismissive. She hated him for it and everything else he'd done.

"Enough, Theron's too weak to make the trip, delay it, give us a week at least to prepare him for the journey." She said, and Brent appeared to give it mocking consideration.

"I'm afraid that Black Sun can't tolerate any delays, demand has gone up and they want to get started on the newer models right away. Theron has to go tomorrow… unless you don't want anymore medication?" He said, smiling, and she sighed, knowing she'd give in. She ran a hand through her long brown hair and turned to Theron. He looked pained, but said nothing.

"Fine, but I'm coming with him. I have to be there with him." Thalassia said finally. She'd not let him go alone, else she might not ever see him again. She refused that. Brent shrugged once more.

"Very well, it doesn't bother me either way, I'll have to give your father a suitable excuse. Just be ready come the morning, dear cousin." He said, giving them a mocking bow before he turned on his feet and walked away.

Thalassia Elegin sighed and turned back to her brother, giving Theron a long hug. She needed to do something, and soon.


End file.
